Popular community figure in Shannonbridge is laid to rest

The many ways in which Dermot (Derry) Killeen enhanced his beloved community of Shannonbridge were recalled during his funeral service in St Ciaran's Church on Saturday.

The popular local man previously worked for the ESB and helped run his family's well-known pub, Killeen's Bar and Grocery, in Shannonbridge. At the age of 79 he died peacefully, at home with his family, on Thursday last.

Tributes paid to him locally over recent days described him as "an iconic figure in Shannonbridge" and "a pure gent who treated everyone with respect and kindness".

Derry Killeen's brother, Fr John Killeen, was a concelebrant of the funeral Mass on Saturday and spoke about his fond memories of the day his younger brother was born, in April 1944.

In his remarks at the beginning of the service, he reflected on the mystery of death and how "in death, life is changed, not ended".

The local writer and teacher, Michael Donegan, also spoke about his friend Derry's life in a personal tribute delivered towards the end of the service.

He said "the village tavern", Killeen's, had been an important part of life in Shannonbridge.

"It was a place of warmth, friendship, comradeship and welcome. It had a wonderful atmosphere which was at once slightly chaotic and at the same time comforting, safe and familiar."

Derry and his late sister Pat had been "two vital cogs in the running of the enterprise" in previous decades.

Michael Donegan spoke about Derry's "somewhat unique dress sense" and "very quirky sense of humour," adding that his "quiet exterior masked a very active and intelligent mind".

"His life was crowded with interests of all kinds," mourners were told.

In his youth, Derry attended Garbally College and then worked on the construction of the original Shannonbridge power station.

Once the station was up and running, he "worked in shift operations there before transferring to Ferbane Power Station as operations technical officer." He would spend much of his working career in Ferbane, before eventually transferring back to Shannonbridge.

"With Derry, there was the official working life and then there was the unofficial working life. This part of his life was primarily about improving the community he loved," Michael stated.

These community involvements included booking bands and acting "as kind of unofficial public relations officer" for Shannonbridge Carnival.

A lifelong love of fishing, and of the flora and fauna of the River Shannon, resulted in Derry organising fishing competitions for adults and children.

"He was instrumental, with Eamon McManus and the late Seamus Grennan, in attracting English fishermen to the area, going over to England to market Shannonbridge to the fishing clubs there," the service heard.

"Derry was the ultimate original thinker. He started a Tidy Towns group before the idea became popular anywhere.

"When, in 2002, he heard there was a bookshop closing in Athlone, he managed to acquire the entire stock of 1,000 books, free gratis.

"With these, and the help of a committee of volunteers, he set up an independent library for the village in the health centre. The library thrived and served the village until the outbreak of the Covid pandemic."

One of the mementoes of Derry's life which was brought to the altar during the service was a copy of The Shannonbridge Star. Derry's publication of The Shannonbridge Star was "perhaps one of his greatest claims to fame," Michael said.

The publication looked at various facets of local life, and Derry was "always on the lookout for quirky stories" that might feature in it - some of which later made the national airwaves.

"Although I was involved with it from the start, I have no idea how many issues of (The Shannonbridge Star) were produced," Michael said.

"A couple of years ago, I was contacted by the Offaly historical association looking for any extant copies for their archives. If we had only known!"

The service was also told of a significant milestone in Derry's life, when he had to undergo major brain surgery in the United States in 1985.

"He was afflicted with a very large tumour which was highly active and aggressive and would ultimately very soon threaten his very life," said Michael.

"The operation would be history-making. It was beyond the capacity of any hospital in either Dublin or Belfast, and time was running out."

Through Derry's sister, Doc, contact was made with her brother-in-law, Dr Brendan Daly, a native of Ballinahown, who was director of a large hospital in San Diego, California.

A 14-hour operation was carried out by a renowned American brain surgeon, Dr Sid Tolchin, and a team of seven other neurologists.

"After the operation, the tumour was successfully removed.

"While there were to be many challenges and medical hiccups along the way afterwards, it speaks to the resilience and determination of the man that he would survive to live a very active and fulfilling life until the last few years of his recent illness," said Michael.

Derry Killeen will be sadly missed and fondly remembered by his loving brothers and sister, Jim (Chicago), Fr John (New Jersey), Doc Cunney-Gilbert (Oughterard) and Michael (Mick) (Shannonbridge), sister-in-law Mary, nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, carer Frankie, extended family, neighbours and a wide circle of friends.

After his funeral Mass on Saturday, his burial took place in in Clonmacnoise. May he rest in peace.