Louth Community Men’s Sheds are hosting a fundraiser in aid of the Mater Hospital in Kennedy’s Bar on the Carrick Road on Saturday August 22nd.
There will be music, beer and burgers on the night, as well as rock the boat, with the event set to get underway from 7.30pm.
Tickets cost €10 and are available from the bar.
Jim Corr
Jim Corr has issued a thank you to the people of Dundalk on behalf of his family in the wake of the passing of their father, Gerry, last week.
The 82-year-old passed away in the Mater Hospital on Thursday April 9th, with his Funeral Mass taking place in the Holy Redeemer Church on Monday.
Writing on his Facebook page, the eldest of Gerry’s four children said:
“On behalf of myself and my sisters Sharon, Caroline and Andrea, we want to express our humble and heartfelt gratitude to everyone for their overwhelming love and support during the passing and funeral of our wonderful dad Gerry Corr. A special thanks to the wonderful people of our home town Dundalk, to our extended family, to our friends and neighbours, and to everyone for their lovely messages from all across the globe. It honestly has helped us so much!
“We feel blessed. After dad’s heart attack he briefly came back to full consciousness where we, his son and daughters were able to say to him what we needed. But he couldn’t remain in his broken body, and took his last breath a few days later surrounded and held by his loving children where he transitioned totally peacefully. For this we are eternally grateful!
“Others are not so lucky, a sudden death, and the chance for those left behind to say what they needed is lost, except in prayer. Repair those bridges, repair those bridges, sometimes we have to go more than half way, while our loved ones are still with us.
“I’m so proud of my sisters, I feel I have the best sisters in the world! They played and read beautifully at the funeral mass. I hope and believe my father was able in some spiritual capacity to view the funeral mass, and the outpouring of love and support shown to us, he would have been so proud and delighted!
“He’s no longer lonely, no longer not able to sleep properly, no longer frustrated with his ageing body, He went gently into that good night. I fully believe and I’m not just saying it, that he’s gone straight to what we call heaven, and is in bliss with his wife and our loving mum Jean and my brother Gerard by his side.
“Thank you to all the wonderful staff of the Mater hospital Dublin, to Dr Hugh McCann for going above and beyond, to Dr Ed Carton and angelic Alana for their care in ICU, to Dad’s doctor Shane Gleeson, to the ambulance crew who got to the house and hospital so quickly, to Gayle and my son Brandon who happened to be with dad when the ordeal started, to Kehoe’s funeral directors whom insured everything ran like clockwork, to Fr Paul Montague, Fr Brendan Kealy, Fr Malachy, and Fr Cusack for the wonderful service, to the musicians Brendan McCourt, Kevin Shields and Roddy McCollum who played their hearts out, and to An Garda Síochána for their escort to Dad’s final resting place,
“Thank you, thank you, thank you.
“Lot’s of love, Jim, Sharon, Caroline and Andrea xxxx
“God bless.”
The late Gerry Corr in the company of daughters Sharon, Caroline and Andrea
The Corrs performed together for the first time in a decade at their father Gerry’s funeral Mass in Dundalk today.
The siblings – Jim, Sharon, Caroline and Andrea – haven’t played together publicly since going on hiatus from the music business in 2005.
However, they received a special ovation at the end of Mass at the Holy Redeemer today when they played the Minstrel Boy and another traditional Irish air on the altar.
The family also recited two poems written by their father while youngest daughter Andrea performed the Allelieu.
Gerry (82) passed away on Thursday in the Mater Hospital.
He was predeceased by wife Jean, nee Bell, who died in November 1999 aged 57. The pair had performed as a group in Dundalk for many years as ‘Sound Affair’.
Chief celebrant at the Mass Fr Paul Montague told the congregation that Gerry had played an active role in the community in Dundalk, praising him in particular for his role as a meal on wheels volunteer, for playing the organ in the church and for supporting the Louth County Hospital and the local Traveller community.
As well as his children, Gerry leaves behind brother Willie, sisters Maureen, Rosaleen and Kathleen and a large circle of relatives and friends.
Gerry Corr in the company of daughters Sharon, Caroline and Andrea
The death has occurred of Gerry Corr, the father of popular music group The Corrs.
The 82-year-old passed away peacefully in the Mater Hospital in Dublin last night.
Gerry was best known as the father of Jim, Sharon, Caroline and Andrea Corr, who made up the internationally-acclaimed band, The Corrs.
He was predeceased by his wife Jean, who passed away in November 1999 from a rare lung condition, while awaiting a transplant.
Gerry and Jean were popular entertainers in their own right in years gone by, performing together as ‘Sound Affair’, while in more recent times the Ard Easmuinn man was actively involved in the campaign to retain services at the Louth County Hospital.
No funeral arrangements have yet been made while the family have issued a statement through Sharon’s management team asking for privacy at this time, saying they would not be commenting on their father’s passing.
The band cited their parents as their major musical influences over the years and wrote a number of songs for Gerry including ‘On My Father’s Wings’ and ‘No More Cry’ which was penned to support him following his wife’s passing.
Condolences from all at Talk of the Town to his family and many friends.
Gerry and his late wife Jean performing as ‘Sound Affair’
Valdas Vyte RIP
The death took place suddenly on Friday of local bus driver Valdas Vyte of Slieve Roe Crescent and late of Castletown Road, Dundalk.
The Lithuanian native was well known to many commuters from the town having driven a Matthews Coach Hire bus from Dundalk to Dublin daily.
Ever popular with both passengers and colleagues, one of his co-workers described his sudden passing in the Mater Hospital as “very sad” and said everyone at Matthews Coach Hire was in shock.
Valdas is survived by his wife Daiva, family and friends and colleagues at Matthews Coaches.
His removal takes place from Dixon’s Funeral Home in Bridge Street on Monday afternoon at 12.45pm to St Nicholas’ Church, arriving for funeral Mass at 1pm.
Maureen Kelly and her daughter Eleanor hold up a picture of Darragh, who died of SADS when he was 21.
The mother of a former Dundalk IT student who died from sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) more than a decade ago has revealed how she saved her daughter’s life because she was “like a dog with a bone” and insisted her family get screened for potentially deadly heart problems.
Maureen Kelly told The Irish Independent how her son Darragh (21) was a “very healthy, fit kid” when he dropped dead from SADS on October 1st 2003.
In the days leading up to his death, Darragh – who studied construction engineering in Dundalk – had been feeling unwell.
He collapsed and died in his room at about 8.30 in the evening. He was found by a housemate just 20 minutes after he had been speaking to his mother on the phone and told her that he felt a lot better, having followed her advice to stay in bed, take paracetamol and plenty of fluids.
He had experienced flu-like symptoms for two days prior to his death; on the day he died he had complained of heart palpitations, but felt a lot better having slept. Darragh was getting dressed and collapsed onto the floor beside his bed.
“He played rugby, soccer and Gaelic all his life. Losing him was the worst nightmare you could ever imagine. It’s just devastating. Part of me died with Darragh,” said the mother from Greystones, Co Wicklow.
With not much known about SADS at the time, Maureen was determined to have her husband Matthew, and three daughters Orla, Ruth and Eleanor screened for heart arrhythmia problems.
She was eventually referred to Dr Joe Galvin, who went on to found the Family Heart Screening Centre at the Mater Hospital, which costs €300,000 a year to run.
And her determination resulted in her youngest daughter Eleanor being diagnosed with Long QT syndrome – one of the conditions that can cause SADS. Eleanor, now 26, was fitted with a defibrillator in 2005.
Just six months later she suffered a potentially deadly cardiac arrhythmia. The defibrillator saved her life and since then she has had four episodes.
“It’s very possible she would have died if I hadn’t been like a dog with a bone,” said Maureen.
“Her life has definitely been saved. It gives fantastic peace of mind. Eleanor lives a normal life, with some limitations.”
Every week in Ireland one person under the age of 35 dies from SADS.
Heart Appeal month is now under way at the Mater Foundation and is aiming to raise much-needed funds for the Mater Hospital’s Family Heart Screening Clinic.
Source: Irish Independent
Talk of the Town 