Remembering Joe Mooney

Remembering Joe Mooney (RIP 8^th January 2022)

I did not know Joe very well but I was somehow very fond of him. He prayed a lot in Churches i sometimes frequented eg bayside and kilbarrack and i often said hello to him and his wife Maureen. A very nice gentleman.

He always seemed a man of very deep and very humble prayer.

Michael O Connell remembered him from our Charismatic days with Fr Michael Hurley in Bayside in the 80’s. Rosaleen Slattery remembered him too. So did Phil Mullally. He made an indelible impression on you. Mysterious really.

It’s funny how just meeting someone on and off over 40 years in the context of prayer and church can form a relationship of love and deep respect.

I don’t think we ever exchanged more than a few words.

I just always liked him. He was a smiley man with gentle humour and calmness.

He was like St Joseph, his patron, in his silence and prayerfulness.

I suppose i will get to know him better when we meet again in heaven.

I believe he suffered a lot with his chest. He had that peaceful, serene look of people who suffer patiently and with Faith, Hope and acceptance.

Saying goodbye to Ursula Foody

Saying Goodbye to Ursula (RIP 22-2-2222)

Erica told me that Ursula died today. She had been dying before but this time her time finally came. To be honest, it’s a happy release, as they say. Yet still sad.

I have many happy childhood memories of aristocratic ‘Auntie Ursula’ as we called her. And, for a while, I worked with Ursula and Erica in the Good Food cafe in Marlboro street before I qualified as a Pharmacy Technician in 1988. Both Ursula and Erica were very hard workers. Very diligent and thorough. Professional

Mam got on very well with Ursula. Two very strong and intelligent, good and kind Vincent’s ladies. I kept in touch with her over the years, when I was single.

Ursula liked me, as well as Mam, I think. Like Mam, Ursula was very straight. To the point of bluntness.  And I got on well with Erica too. Erica has been a loyal rock for Ursula whose personality could be a bit highly strung at times.

In recent years, I have brought Mam to visit Ursula in her nursing home near Lucan. It was good for Mam too to see Ursula more since Dad died.

Ursula’s nickname was ‘Dotty Crotty’. Her late husband was John Foody who I did not know very well. He suffered from depression a lot. Her other daughter is Tara who lives in London.

Ursula loved to talk. She was chirpy, to put it mildly. She worked as a hostess with Aer Lingus after finishing nursing training in St Vincent’s. Way back in the 50’s.

Erica is very bright too. In recent years, Ursula’s deafness made conversation not easy. Poor old Ursula has suffered a lot bravely. Erica has been very wise and patient too. It was not always easy dealing with strong-willed, determined Ursula.

Ursula was a woman of Faith too. The old fashioned kind. No nonsense.

With a insightful, critical mind too. Like my own Mam, no fool.

In the nursing home, they called her Lazarus because she recovered from near death so many times. A great soul.

George Dennis 1936-2022

Saying Goodbye to George (RIP 16-2-2022)

Thinking about George brings a warm smile into my mind.

He was one of those people who lit up our lives.

He meant a lot to me and to so many others.

They call them Dublin Characters. All unique.  All  original.

Matt Talbot with a sense of humour.

I really liked George. He always put the best side out as the old people do.

Oh Yes, he could drive you crazy. But that was part of his charm too.

He called Mary Magdalene “Mary Mc Dillon” and his great friend in the Capuchins was “Patrick Pio”. George suffered a lot in his life. He knew grief. Love is like that.

Manys a good chat and cup of tea we had together. Since Fr Price came to Kilbarrack 25 years  ago. George was really hilarious talking about Fr Price but he really loved Fr Cathal as we all do.

George used to say “I am not judgemental just observant”!

Betty will miss him. George did not make sense without Betty. A great couple.

What a beautiful person. My wife Maura loved Betty from first meeting.

She will go straight to heaven too. George said he would be happy when he got into purgatory. He took his Faith very serious and decried the modern paganism.

God comfort Betty.

(16-2-2022)

ps I have lovely cds of George singing if anyone would like a copy, let me know

Appreciating Veronica Duffy

Appreciating Veronica Duffy (3-2-2022)

Veronica died on the feast of the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple.

February 2^nd. Celebration of the Consecrated Life. A joyful mystery.

“You give leave to your servant to go in peace” – (Luke 1)

Veronica was big into the angels. She prayed for a long time to St Raphael the Archangel for me to meet a good wife and my Dad did too.

St Raphael did a good job as I met Maura in 2011 and started a beautiful whole new life with my stepson, Pauric, now 18, as well.

Mam and Dad used to joke about Veronica’s great devotion to St Anthony.

Funny, Maura and Mam are both not really into St Anthony. Though I am.

Maura is a St Jude woman!

And Veronica was mad about St Joseph too. She called her son Joseph and her daughter Marie Therese after the Little Flower.

Interestingly, Lauri is called after Cardinal Lorenzo Lauri who was in charge of the 1932 Eucharistic Congress in Dublin.

Veronica was a very staunch supporter of the Fatima message and helped Lauri for years run his Travel company bringing people to Fatima. This did an awful lot of good. A great partnership.

She was a VERY prayerful woman. She always seemed to be smiling and pleasant. She loved the Rosary and Adoration. Very devout.

Lauri told me how they met. A true love story. Guided by God.

Lauri will really miss her but it’s a happy release now as her dementia had got very advanced. Lauri was worn out minding poor old Veronica. A very heroic man.