Obituary Mr. John Brendan Fitzpatrick

“His word was his bond†might be a generous tribute to someone who has passed on after doing some good in their lives but as far as John Brendan Fitzpatrick was concerned it was a very apt and accurate statement about the man. Farmer, auctioneer and public representative he lived a long and active life in his native Scotshouse but was known and held in high regard much further afield. He was a member of Monaghan County Council from 1950 until he retired in 1974 - serving for the last seven years as Chairman. It was an era when money was scarce and local authorities were strapped for cash but at the same time councillors were reluctant to increase the burden on small businesses, farmers and home owners by putting up the annual rate to an unduly penal level. With little or nothing by way of monetary compensation for their efforts John Brendan Fitzpatrick and his colleagues did immense good in helping people cope with the trials and tribulations of life and they eased the burden for many whether it was that of a small farming family or an urban dweller trying to make ends meet on a low wage. That they were able to provide services such as roads, housing, water and sewerage in such hard times is a tribute to their faith and perseverance. It was before the advent of grant aid from Brussels but they did manage to undertake significant road schemes, much of it done with manual labour, while Monaghan County Hospital built in the 1930s was a tribute to the immediate predecessors of local public representatives like the late John Fitzpatrick. Indeed up until the establishment of the Health Boards in the early 1970s it was the county councils who had responsibility for health with the County Medical Officer for Health being part of the management structure of the local authority. Councillors themselves were closely involved in representing their constituents in relation to health matters and in his role as county council Chairman and before that as a councillor, John Brendan Fitzpatrick took an active role in the development of health services in County Monaghan. He continued this work when he became a member of the newly established North Eastern Health Board, remaining on the board until he stepped down from the council. John Brendan Fitzpatrick was born on Christmas Day 1912 in Scotshouse. His parents, John and Jenny Fitzpatrick were farmers and when his father passed on and his brothers went off to study for the professions John took over the ownership and running of the family farm. He was a committed, hard working farmer, expert in his judgement of livestock. In succeeding years he expanded the holding into one of the largest in the area at that time, specialising in mixed farming which was common to Cavan and Monaghan. A very straight man he always gave sound advice when people sought his views. He had a tremendous interest in agriculture in general and was a regular attender at agricultural shows in the Cavan/Monaghan area and indeed further afield. A member of a strong Fine Gael family he was elected to Monaghan County Council on successive occasions for the party. Indeed he was a prominent member of the organisation in the county during the years when it was largely a single county constituency. He worked to secure the election of Fine Gael TDs for Monaghan such as the late James Dillon and the late John Francis Conlan. Indeed he stood for the Dail himself in the 1954 General Election alongside James Dillon when the Fine Gael organisation fielded two candidates for the first time since 1938. He was unsuccessful but remained to the forefront in the life of the party at constituency level, serving as Chairman of the County Executive for a time during the 1950s. A brother of former government Minister and Ceann Comhairle, the late Tom Fitzpatrick, he was well known within the Fine Gael organisation in his own right and because of his vast years of experience serving at local level in County Monaghan he was held in high regard and with deep affection by senior figures within the party. Equally important he was much thought of by the grassroots whose language he talked and whose problems he understood. In a warm tribute the current Fine Gael TD for Cavan/Monaghan, Seymour Crawford, described John Brendan Fitzpatrick as being extremely generous with his time to all of the people he served. “He was a well respected farmer, deeply involved in farm organisation and was a genuine community leader and public representative at a time when such people received no monetary reward. Long after John Brendan retired he still used his contacts to be a helpful and supportive member of the communityâ€, said Mr. Crawford. Recalling that John Brendan was involved in many committees to do with his membership of the county council, Deputy Crawford said that he would best be remembered amongst his Fine Gael colleagues for his chairmanship of the Billy Fox Memorial Park committee, a park which was extremely well looked after to this day. The late John Brendan Fitzpatrick was a long established auctioneer who had an active business in the general Clones Electoral Area. Whether it was the setting of land or the sale of a house vendors and buyers alike always found him a pleasure to do business with. His work as an auctioneer brought him into contact with people from all walks of life and outlook; his experience in local government being a useful resource in terms of his knowledge of the system as pertaining to the regulations governing property. A strong, well built man he lived in Scotshouse until his early nineties when he retired to College View Nursing Home in Cavan having sold his farm a few years previously. The late John Brendan Fitzpatrick is survived by his sister-in-law, Carmel, nephews, nieces and wider family circle. He was predeceased by his brothers Peter and Tom, by his sister, Una and half sister, Alice Beatty, Dublin. A guard of honour of members of Monaghan County Council past and present and of Fine Gael Oireachtas and party members accompanied the cortege as it arrived at the church in Scotshouse where the remains were received by Father Deerey who also celebrated the Requiem Mass on the Sunday. The late John Brendan Fitzpatrick was laid to rest with his forebears in the local cemetery.