Published: Wednesday, 14th April, 2010 5:00pm

Pat Cahill - proud son of Cavan in US

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Pat (Patsy) Cahill late of Denn and USA.

There was deep sadness in Denn following the death of Pat (Patsy) Cahill in New Jersey on March 11.

Patsy died in his adopted country following a short illness and he was buried in New Jersey.

Born in 1936 in Kilnucreeas to Bartley and Mollie Cahill, Patsy attended Aughalowrey and Ardkill schools. He started work at 14 years in Barney O'Reilly's in Bridge Street, Cavan and worked there for approximately four years. During his youth, he played football with Crosskeys and was on the panel of the Denn team that won the Cavan minor championship in 1952.

Patsy moved to work in Drogheda and then to Dublin where he became actively involved in the Cavan Association.

In 1962, he left Ireland and emigrated to the United States. In 1964, he married Ann Shannon and they had five children - Patrick, Mary, Brian, Peter and Geraldine. Sadly Ann passed away in 2004.

When Patsy arrived in the US, he joined the Cavan P & B Association and he remained deeply involved in the association. He was honoured as their Man of the Year in 1988. He was also a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and was involved in the Cavan Association in the St. Patrick's Day parade in New York for many years. He was involved in many charity organisations and ran a successful golf outing for Brother Clement Brady, Butlersbridge, of the Irish Franciscan Brothers in Ireland for the foreign missions.

Patsy was the proprietor of the Hizzoners in New York city in the early 70s until he moved to the Woodside Steak House in Queens, New York, in 1980. During his time in Woodside he became a father figure for so many young Irish emigrants and helped so many with sound advice and helped them to find work etc. He retired in 1996 and is still very much talked about and missed in Woodside.

In August 2009, Patsy married Breda Kirk. His great love in life was meeting and getting to know people. He was probably one of the best known Cavan people in the New York area. At his funeral his local parish priest Father Reilly said during his homily what a proud Cavan man he was. He had a great interest in Cavan and read The Anglo-Celt weekly. Over the years he followed the ups and downs of the Cavan GAA team through the paper and he remained loyal to his native county.

He will be fondly remembered in his home parish of Denn and among the family and wide circle of friends in the U.S. Patsy is survived by his wife, Breda and his five children, Patrick, Mary, Brian, Peter and Geraldine, New Jersey and his brothers, Michael, Pea, Frank and Seamus and sister, Mary Ellen in Ireland.