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Celia O’Donnell RIP


The death has taken place of Celia O’Donnell,
Corkhill, Drumkeeran.

Celia was born in April 1926.
She was the youngest of the three children of James and Mary Doherty, Gortahurk.
The other two children in the family were her brother Pat and her sister Mary.
Celia attended the old national school in Killargue.


Her father John died when she was only 9 years of age.
With the kind support of their neighbours Celia and her family
managed to cope with their loss and to rebuild their lives.
All through her life, Celia placed great value on her neighbours,
whether it be around Gortahurk or, in later years, around Corkhill.  


In 1952 Celia married Vincent O’Donnell.
For their honeymoon the newlywed couple travelled to Edinburgh.
This trip, with its new sights and new experiences,
made a lasting impression on Celia.


Celia and Vincent settled in the O’Donnell family home in Corkhill.
There they raised their family; their daughters Mary, Sheila and Rita,
and their sons John, Hugh and Michael.
Celia was totally focused on her family, caring for and looking after them.
She made sure that they would receive a good education
for she was convinced of the importance of a good education


Celia also had a great interest in and knowledge of
the old traditions and customs of the area, its folklore and its history.
She also had a great feel for the landscape in which she grew up
and for the beauty of the natural world around her.
Above all, she had a deep love of the Irish language,
of Irish music and of her religious faith.


That faith was central to her life.
Every Sunday Celia cycled to Drumkeeran for the 8.30 am Mass.
The Rosary was at the heart of her prayer life.
That faith supported and strengthened her when she had to care for
and look after her husband Vincent as his health gradually declined.
He died in 2002.
Celia, with the help of her strong faith, was,
in her own quiet and courageous manner,
able to cope with her grief and to gradually get on with life.
She experienced other moments of sadness too

as she lost her sister Mary and her brother Pat.


Celia delighted in welcoming visitors to the house
and offering them the cuppa and a slice of her brown bread.
And there was the joy she got from her interest in the cattle and in her dogs.
She also had an intense interest in politics and current affairs.
She delighted in reading the daily paper from cover to cover.


The hunger to discover and to experience new things never left her.
In latter years she enjoyed being brought to visit places
she had often heard about but had never seen.
And, though she was a quiet, unassuming person,
she was an enthusiastic member the 99-Club.
She enjoyed its various outings and she delighted in meeting new people
and getting to know them.


And that interest in people stretched to something
that now-a-days is probably a dying art,
namely the art of writing letters.
She was prolific in her writing of letters.
That was her way of keeping in touch with her friends.


In recent times, as her health deteriorated she became resident
in St Felim’s Nursing Home, Dromahair.
She died peacefully there on Thursday, 10
th October.


In her passing the local community has lost a great friend and a great neighbour.
Above all, her family has lost a loving and devoted mother.


We extend our sympathy to her daughters Mary, Sheila and Rita
and to her sons John, Hugh and Michael.


The large attendances at both the removal and the funeral
are an indication of the high esteem in which Celia
and her family are held by the local community.


Celia’s funeral took place on Saturday, 12th October.
Mass of the Resurrection in Drumkeeran Church was celebrated by Fr Alwill.


After the Mass Celia was laid to rest in the family plot in Kilbride Cemetery.