Airmid O’Hanlon, late of Cathedral Road, Cavan

The death of Airmid O’Hanlon, late of Cathedral Road, Cavan, on Friday, November 26, marked the passing of a remarkable and much loved woman, wife and mother.

Airmid, or Airmy as she was known to family and friends, enjoyed a long and fulfilled life. She was a loving wife to Edward T. (Ned) O’Hanlon, former chairman and editor of The Anglo-Celt and a wonderfully devoted mother to her six children. She was also a valued friend to many in Cavan and further afield.

Born on October 4, 1927, Airmy was the sole surviving member of a family of 12 children - nine girls and three boys. Her father was Surgeon Joseph McMullin and the family resided at Church Street, adjacent to the old Cavan General Hospital, which was situated on the current Dunnes Stores site.

The fifties and sixties in Ireland was a vastly different time to now. Economically, things were tough and most mothers stayed at home, had large families by today’s standards, were hard working and innovative, none more so than Airmy. Having studied in the Catering College, Cathal Brugha Street, Dublin, she qualified as an institutional manager. This training equipped her with a wide range of skills including managing budgets, cooking, dressmaking, decorating and many other talents, which she put to good use in rearing her six children. She was also blessed with great taste and had a keen eye for good design.

She was a wonderful communicator; great mimic and full of fun. She loved drama and musicals and was cast in many shows in the Town Hall over the years. The late Rev A.B McGrath produced numerous musicals in Cavan and she appeared in all of those productions.

Coming from a family of 12, she was imbued with strong core family values and, in addition to caring for her own family, she regularly travelled to Dublin to visit and assist her sisters with whom she remained very close.

Airmy was a very modern woman. Back in the sixties, to entertain her children and their friends, she voluntarily arranged ‘hops’ in her brother Don’s hotel, The Rivals Inn and Tavern in Railway Road. These hops were afternoon dances for teenagers and were eagerly looked forward to.

She was an avid reader and took a keen interest in politics resulting in the family enjoying many heated political debates over the dinner table. She was also interested in sport and was a great swimmer. Over the summer months she used to pile her children and neighbours into the car and bring them out to Annagh Lake.

A good golfer, Airmy was a lifelong member of County Cavan Golf Club. In fact, she was a former Club Captain and President and won both the Captain’s and President’s prize on a couple of occasions. She was also a member of Cavan Bridge Club.

A devout Catholic, she was a founding member of the Catholic Marriage Advisory Council in Cavan, which has since evolved into Accord, the Catholic Marriage Service. She loved the Cathedral choir of which she was a member for many years.

Airmy was thrilled when her grandchildren started to arrive in the eighties and loved being involved in their activities as they grew up.

Her life was not without tragedy. Her second son, Simon, died following a long illness in 1996 and, throughout his illness, she took great care of him. His passing was followed three years later in 1999 by the death of her beloved husband Ned, also following a long illness, and to whom she gave dedicated, loving care.

She was acutely aware of those less fortunate and there were many discreet kindnesses dispensed to those in need over the years.

In 2006 she decided to move to Dublin to be nearer her daughters, son and her three surviving sisters. She lived quite happily there for the next 10 years before deteriorating health necessitated her moving into Glengara Park Nursing Home, Dun Laoghaire, where she received wonderful care from the staff.

Airmy died peacefully on Friday, November 26, in the presence of her children Johnny, Morna, Kate, Ned and Peter. She reposed in McMahon’s Funeral Home, Cavan, on Sunday, November 28. Her funeral mass in the Cathedral of Ss Patrick and Felim, Cavan, was concelebrated by Revs Brian McElhinney and Kevin Fay, ADM, Cavan and was followed by burial in the family grave in Cullies Cemetery. In addition to her five children, Airmy is mourned by her daughters-in-law Gabrielle, Anne-Louise and Philomena; grandchildren; Grainne, Dearbháile, Eimear and Edward O’Hanlon; Frances, Peter and Patrick Hogan; Robert Marshall; Shane and Anna O’Hanlon; Peter and Morna O’Hanlon and her nine great-grandchildren.

May she rest in peace.