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Jim McKenna RIP
Cartron
It was with deep sadness that the local community learned
of the unexpected death
of
Jim McKenna of Cartron, Lough Allen.
Jim, who was 92 years of age,
died in Sligo General Hospital on the morning of Tuesday,
26th March.
Jim McKenna was born on 10th Jan 1921, the oldest child of Padraig and Margaret McKenna.
He
received his early education at the old national school in Tarmon.
As a young man he worked at various jobs, beginning with the County Council
and then
on construction work at the new Power Station.
He then got a job in Arigna mines and
he stayed in that job for the best part of the next 40 years.
He enjoyed working at
the mines and he enjoyed the comradeship among the workers.
Years afterwards, he
would get great pleasure and enjoyment out of reminiscing
about the mines, about the
work there
and about the various characters he met during his time there.
On 8th January 1951 Jim married Eileen Gilmartin and they settled in Cartron.
He was
totally devoted to Eileen and to their two sons, Gabriel and Thomas.
Jim also loved working on the family farm.
Over the years he tended the cattle and
reared the calves,
he sowed the oats and planted the potatoes.
He also kept a small
garden where he grew the vegetables for the family dinner table.
He was among some of the first people in the area to have a car.
Every year he took
Eileen and the boys to Knock.
The annual visit to Knock, the daily Rosary, the Sunday
Mass;
these were the cornerstones of their strong faith.
In latter years, even though
he was over 90 years of age,
Jim, until the last few months, still attended his Sunday
Mass in Tarmon Church.
All his neighbours had a great affection for Jim.
To them he was a great neighbour
and a great friend,
a man with a big heart and a man with a great sense of humour.
He
loved the company of other people,
whether it was in meeting them when he went out
for his occasional drink
or on having them call to visit him at the house.
His interests
were not limited to reliving the past.
He loved people to call and to bring him up
to speed in all the news,
both local and national.
In recent years Jim had to live with the sadness of bereavement.
In December 2005
his younger brother Packie died suddenly and,
little over a year later, in January
2007, his wife Eileen died.
Jim is survived by his sons Thomas and Gabriel,
by his sister Mary, by his daughters-
and by his granddaughter Michelle.
Jim’s funeral sevice was held in Tarmon Church on Holy Thursday.
The service was led
by led by Fr Gerard Alwill and by Fr Cathal Faughnan, PP of Arigna.
Jim was laid to
rest in the family plot in Curraghs Cemetery.