To Jimmy

This is a photo of Jimmy McLoughlin singing in a bar in Spain. A happy day for him and for all who were with him.

But on Tuesday 30th of October 2007 Jimmy left us.

Many from the Summerhill area drop in to read this blog, many who will know Jimmy. Bide a moment and remember him.

And to help you remember him, he lived at one time in 42K, right next door to Terry Kelly's pub which later became Hourican's. It stood at the corner of Lower Rutland Street and Summerhill. And Jimmy went to Rutland St school.

Jimmy, (or Jem as we used to call each other -- both of our real names being James) was a husband to Joan, a dad, a grandad, a brother, a brother-in-law...... a man of a big, loving family.... and a son still grieving at the passing of his dear mother May and of his father John.

He was a friend with an ever cheery word.. and I will miss that as well as the good natured slagging we sometimes shared when he regularly dropped by my home.

He shall be missed.

But a few words of a poem often help us ponder.... and to realise that...

There is no death!
The stars go down
To rise upon another shore,
And bright in heaven's jeweled crown
They shine for evermore.

Jimmy loved music and song. He enjoyed the singing of Dean Martin and the tenor voices of Mario Lanza and Luciano Pavarotti, a love of tenor voices I believe he inherited from his father who had a lovely tenor voice himself.

So I will leave you now Jimmy.... I will leave as Pavarotti the tenor maestro performs in a way that you loved.

Farewell Jem.... this is for you.....

A little Irish culture

It's now one week since I heard of the passing to her eternal reward of our friend from the GB, Sarah.

Sarah loved and was proud of her Irish roots.

So before I return to write again about the dear old mean streets of Dublin, and about my early life's experiences in those streets. I want to say a final farewell... adieu.. slán to Sarah (or Sally as she's known to her family)

This is not a mark of mourning at her passing, but a celebration of her life.

A piece of ceol agus rince.... always part of a true Irish way of bidding a final fond goodbye.

I think she would like this, it's the original Riverdance as it was seen for the first time here in Dublin.

For you Sarah.

Farewell Sarah

A guestbook, a shoutbox, the comments to posts in blogs. Who gives them much thought? Not many I'll bet. Most leave a note and that's it. Some don't even bother.

.

But you can meet some special people through writing in a guestbook. I and many others met such a special person.

If you read through one of my shoutboxes or many of the comments to my posts you'll see the name Sarah.

I first 'met' Sarah on another guestbook, the one for the Gardiner St Website Sarah was a daily visitor there, spreading her cheer and chat with the other regulars on that guestbook. Yes it's that kind of guestbook, one where people from all over the world meet, get to know each other and become friends. I chose a yellow rose here because in a recent topic on roses Sarah said her favourite is yellow.

Now Sarah has left us. She went to her eternal reward on 10th of this month.

This beautiful yellow rose is for you Sarah.

I offer my deepest sympathy to her family, friends and everyone who knew and loved her.

We will all miss you Sarah, but are comforted in knowing that you are in a better place. May God bless you and all who love you.

~Ár deis Dia go raibh a n-ainm.~