RIP: Tipperary publican remembered as 'part of the fabric of the village' at funeral mass

Tributes have been paid to popular Holycross publican Pat Skehan, who died following a car crash in the village last Sunday.

Mr Skehan, a lifelong presence in the community and proprietor of his well-known pub in the centre of the village, was remembered at his Funeral Mass in Holy Cross Abbey as a quiet, kind and steadfast figure whose passing has left a profound void.

Celebrant Fr Tom Fogarty told mourners that “the landscape of that part of our village has changed considerably since last Sunday”, describing how news of the accident had “turned upside down” the lives of Mr Skehan’s family and close friends in a matter of moments.

“It only takes a moment to change radically our understanding and perspective in life,” he said.

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Fr Fogarty noted the family’s gratitude that no one else was caught up in the accident, which occurred at a location that could easily have involved other road users.

Born in November 1953 in the parish of Moycarkey, Mr Skehan was the third of nine children. In the early 1970s he moved to Holycross, where he worked alongside his father in the local sugar factory until its closure. He later worked as an agricultural contractor while tending to the family holding.

In 1997, following the death of his mother Katie, he took over the running of the family pub, a role that his family said he “truly loved”.

“He loved his customers and his customers loved him,” his brother Frances told the congregation.

“If you can picture a traditional pub, then you can picture Pat’s. It wasn’t about anything fancy or modern, but what it had and what you felt the minute you walked in the door was warmth, a sense that you were somewhere truly unique, a sense of belonging.”

The pub, he said, was “not just a building in the center of the village. It was a gathering place, a meeting point, a second home for so many”.

Mr Skehan was described as a man who never sought the limelight and would likely have been surprised by the headlines generated by his untimely death. Yet, those who knew him best spoke of a deep and abiding presence in village life.

“There’s probably no greater image of the relaxed nature and easy-going pace of country life than Pat sitting outside his own public house with the dog beside him,” Fr Fogarty reflected.

While quiet by nature, he was known for his firm but fair manner and for living out his faith “in his own quiet way”. Many of the good deeds he carried out, the priest suggested, may never be fully known.

Mr Skehan also battled illness in recent years, having overcome cancer in 2022 following a course of treatment. Although he recovered medically, his health was impacted and he experienced a number of hospital stays. His determination, his family said, was always to return home and resume his routine.

Over the past 48 hours, Francis Skehan said, the family had learned even more about the depth of feeling towards his brother.

“I heard stories after stories and I came to understand even more deeply what he meant to so many people. The impact he had, not just on each family but on the whole community, has truly shown itself in the last few days.”

Symbols brought to the altar during the Mass reflected Mr Skehan’s life and character: a bottle of Guinness representing his pub; his cap, worn on walks through the village with his dog; a radio symbolising his love of news, current affairs and music; and vegetables from his garden.

Prayers were also offered for first responders and gardaí who attended the scene of the crash.

Mr Skehan is survived by his siblings Margaret, Mary, Francis, Catherine, Michael, Tom, John and William, extended family and a wide circle of friends and loyal customers.

As mourners gathered in Holy Cross Abbey and later accompanied him to his final resting place in the adjoining cemetery, he was remembered as a man whose presence defined a corner of village life and whose absence will be keenly felt.

“People like him were not born to die,” a reflection shared during the ceremony said. “So while he sleeps and his voice is still, his spirit lives on and always will.”