“There was a place in Christy's heart for everyone” funeral Mass hears

The generosity he displayed to everyone he met in life and his enduring love for family and community were recalled at the funeral Mass for the late Christy Maye, which took place in The Church of the Immaculate Conception in Forgney this afternoon (Tuesday).

“Christy had a place in his heart for everyone” chief celebrant, Fr. Seamus Houlihan, told the overflowing congregation “when it came to accommodation he knew how to provide it, not just in the physical sense, but also in his heart.”

The prominent businessman, who was best known as the former owner of the Bridge House Hotel, in Tullamore, the developer of the Bridge Centre shopping centre in Tullamore, and the owner of the Greville Arms Hotel in Mullingar, was surrounded by his loving family when he passed away in the Hermitage Clinic on Saturday last, May 31, after a short illness.

Love for his family was the cornerstone of Christy Maye's life, said Fr. Houlihan.“They were the light of his life” said the Tullamore native and family friend, who added that love of family and love of community “was everything to Christy.”

It was the love that the late Christy Maye gave in such generous abundance to every single person he met in life, and to every organisation he became involved in, that was a recurring theme throughout his funeral Mass. Recalling his involvment with organisations like the Chamber of Commerce, Tullamore Lions Club and Junior Chamber, Fr. Houlihan apologised if he had “left anyone out” and remarked “we'd be here until Christmas if I had to mention every group Christy was involved in.”

Despite the fact that he appeared to be a man who seemed to be “very slow, very gentle and very laid back” Fr. Houlihan said Christy Maye was a man with “extraordinary business acumen” and added that his brain was “always working” and one of his slogans in life – which was borrowed from a well-known song from another era - was 'do what you do, do well.'”

Also from another era was a Big Tom LP, which was one of the symbols brought to the Altar at today's funeral Mass. “For the younger generation here today, an LP is a long playing record" explained Fr. Houlihan, who said Christy Maye had a “deep and abiding interest in music of all kinds” throughout his life.

“How many of ye went to one of Christy's famous discos in Mullingar” asked Fr. Houlihan, to much laughter from the overflowing congregation “had ye nothing better to do” he asked before adding “neither did I.”

There was another moment of levity during the funeral ceremony when the chief celebrant recalled the late Christy Maye's love of farming and horse racing and recalled how he had a horse which he called “Stringfellow.”

The funeral Mass also heard that, in a strange coincidence, Christy Maye had passed away on Saturday last "exactly 50 years to the day" that his own father, John, had died. He was also predeceased by his late mother, Mary, along with his sister Eithne and his brother Liam.

Members of Tullamore Lions Club, of which Christy Maye was a founding member in 1975, formed a Guard of Honour outside Forgney Church and accompanied the remains of their colleague as the cortage made its way to the church for today's funeral Mass.

The late Christy Maye will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his wife Ellen, his son Jason, his daughters Jillian (Cleary) and Lee-Anne and son in law David Cleary, his adored grandchildren, Anna and James, Holly and Heidi, his brother Johnny, sisters Kathleen (Hoare) , Mary (Freak) (Australia) Carmel (Cashel) and Madeline (O’Scolai) (Canada), sisters in law and Brothers in law. The Norris Family (Curragh, Rosemount), His nieces, nephews, cousins, neighbours his many friends, staff members from the Greville Arms Hotel, Danny Byrnes, The Bridge Centre and the farm.

May his kind and gentle soul rest in peace.