RIP: Tipperary's Patsy Lonergan lived a life filled of family, friends and neighbours

Patsy Lonergan passed away peacefully on March 7, 2025, at the Slievenamon Unit, Clonmel, surrounded by his loving family and friends.

Patsy was predeceased by his beloved wife Margaret and son James.

He is very sadly missed by his loving daughter Brigitte, grandchildren Gavin, Dean, Abbey and Mya, son in law Bryan, daughter in law Caroline, great-grandchildren, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, extended family, neighbours and his many friends.

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Patsy was born in 1943 in Kilcommon Cahir, the second oldest of six boys and seven girls.

He went to national school in Ballylooby, getting the morning bus from Kilcommon Cross for a penny a day and walking home in the afternoons with his siblings and friends.

He spent two years in the Tech in Cahir.

Patsy helped out on the family mixed farm, milking, ploughing, saving hay, standing the sheaves of corn and many other skills he learned at home.

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Patsy got a job in Cahir Sawmills, making gates, troughs, trailers and anything in wood. He got his first motorbike in 1961 when he started his carpentry apprentice with Liam Lonergan.

He worked for Sisks building the convents in Tipperary and Cahir before joining the maintenance department of Continental Meat Packers in Cahir.

There he learned to weld and work with iron instead of wood. He bought his first car a mini minor from Pat Barry in 1962 for £487, 10 shillings.

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He was a keen cyclist and competed with Billy Regan, James Nugent, Joe Lonergan, John Cummins, Dan Curran, Davy Burke and many more.

He loved to go dancing, and met his future wife Margaret Halpin at dances in the Parochial Hall where they danced to Mick Del and Kevin Flynn from 1959.

Patsy was the only one with a car and was always in big demand to give people a lift home after the dances. Patsy and Margaret married in February 1966 and moved into their home in Derrygrath.

They continued dancing, travelling to Kilross, Glen Hotel Aherlow and many more venues. Patsy was working with Noel Guthrie’s father in the Meat Packers and got to know Noel who was an apprentice welder in Barlows and later Lavally Engineering.

They started making car trailers and car transporters part time in the shed beside Patsy’s and Margaret’s house.

They built a bigger shed and Noel started working there full time. When they got very busy, Patsy left the factory and joined Noel.

They worked from 8am to 6pm six days a week, and every evening from 7 to 10pm, mainly working for farmers keeping old equipment going.

Patsy and Noel got on well together and never had a row in the 45 years they worked together.
Patsy had a great head as well as gifted hands, and was much sought after for advice or do intricate repairs.

At home in Kilcommon, he was always sent for to help when there was a big job to be done.

He put a floor in the swinging bridge across the Suir and came up with solutions for repairing the roof of Ballybacon Church. He worked for Moy Insulation, Bulmers, Ronans and may other businesses and farmers and was highly regarded by all.

His son James worked for Derrygrath Engineering in Moy Insulation. His death from cancer at the early age of 31 hit the family very hard.

Patsy was generous with his time and work for his friends and neighbours, often doing work for free. He trained about 40 apprentices over the years and always gave them the best advice and help.

He loved to go off hunting and shooting on Sunday mornings with his family and friends. He was very knowledgeable about guns and had a great shot.

He reared Pheasants and partridges and always kept hunting dogs. Patsy was a keen GAA supporter, and Margaret and himself used to go to all the Tipperary matches. Patsy was a member of the Tipperary Supporters Club up to the day he died.

When his good friend John Casey became chairman of Cahir GAA, Patsy started to do voluntary work in Cahir GAA field. He got Noel back playing hurling, and the two of them got involved in improving the facilities in Cahir GAA field. They designed and built the entrance gates, the scoreboard, the ball stop nets, fencing, gates etc. and fitted the dressing rooms with steel doors, seating and wall hooks. Patsy loved doing voluntary work as part of a group.

He was great for attending matches and was Honorary Life President of Cahir GAA and one of Cahir’s best supporters over many years.

Patsy was diagnosed with Parkinsons about 10 years ago and he bore it bravely. It gradually restricted his ability to work and walk very far. He loved to drive to the Swiss Cottage and meet some friends there and enjoy the sounds and sights of nature. It was a great loss to him when he could no longer drive his car.

He had great family, friends and neighbours who were always available to help. With their help, and excellent carers, he was able to continue living at home up to a few months before his death when he suffered a fall and had to go to hospital. His door was always open and his many friends called there regularly.

Patsy was particularly proud of his daughter Brigette and her two daughters as well as grandsons Gavin and Dean who live in Australia. Patsy was unable to attend any Cahir games over the last 2 years.

He would ring Noel 2 or 3 times during the game to find out the score and see who was playing well. Patsy would have to get a full report on the way home from the game.

Some of the condolences perfectly describe Patsy; ‘Patsy was a great GAA clubman, a brilliant tradesman, a kind and generous man who gave so much time to so many’; A gentleman and the best tradesman I had the pleasure to work with’; ‘A true friend blessed with gifted hands’; ‘Many a good day I had hunting with one of the most talented and gifted people I know’.

Patsy was laid to rest beside Margaret in the beautiful old cemetery in Derrygrath.

When you visit there, you can just hear the birds singing and the crows cawing and you sense Patsy is happy there listening to the sounds of nature.