Regretted death of Eddie McPhillips, O'Neill Park, Clones

There is widespread regret at the sad passing of Eddie McPhillips, O'Neill Park, Clones, on November 13, 2011. Eddie had fought a long, brave and very dignified battle with cancer for the last two years of his life. Born in O'Neill Park in April 1957, the fifth of seven children of Sean and Kathleen McPhillips, he died in the same house 54 years later. In between he lived a full life. After leaving school he went immediately to work in the Clones Tile Factory. Subsequently and after spending many happy years working in Liscarn Textiles he went to work in Birmingham, London and then New York. He loved New York, but home is where the heart is and Eddie returned to Clones in 1997 to stay. Eddie came from the school of straight talkers. Friends would know where he stood on whatever issue was under discussion, and usually where they stood with Eddie! Politics, football, and horse racing were among his passions and he would be quite happy to engage in friendly and robust discussion on any or all. Apart from his love of American Country music, he enjoyed nothing more than a wee bet on sporting events. On occasions, his ability to identify a successful outsider from a field of golfers left some seasoned golfers scratching their heads. Eddie was an active Republican for most of his adult life. Close friends and colleagues from Sinn Féin carried his coffin from the Sacred Heart Church on the day of his funeral. In October, just a few weeks before he died, Eddie insisted on getting out to canvas in the Presidential election for Martin McGuinness in O'Neill Park. Eddie took great enjoyment from keeping in regular contact with his uncles and aunts and took particular pleasure from his frequent visits to his aunt in Whitehead where he was treated like a king. Eddie was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in June 2010. Never one to give up easily he battled on and right up to his final week could be seen walking his two dogs on his favourite and most regular walk around Lisnaroe Lane. Regretted, Eddie left us, in the company of his brothers and sisters in the early hours of Sunday morning the 13th November 2011. He will be sadly missed. Eddie's funeral to Mount St Oliver Cemetery was on Tuesday 15th November and in celebration of his life, he left the Sacred Heart Church for the last time to the joyful strains of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" sung by his brother in law and friend, Donal Lucey. He was predeceased by his parents Sean and Kathleen and is survived by his daughter Laura, sisters, Rita and Breda and his brothers, Leo, Sean, Fintan and Paddy and many nieces and nephews. Eddies months mind mass will be on New Years Day at 9.30am in the Sacred Heart Church, Clones.