Popular Clonmel woman mourned after dying in Australia while attending daughter's wedding

On October 11 last the family and friends of the late Alice Grant gathered to say their last goodbyes in a full to capacity Ss Peter and Paul’s church, Clonmel. 

It was a fitting tribute to the well loved Clonmel native who tragically passed away in Perth, Australia on September 30. 

Alice had been visiting Australia for the second time and had been looking forward to attending her youngest daughter Lisa’s wedding while there before suffering a heart attack and subsequently passing away some ten days later. 

She was surrounded by her four children, her sons-in-law and daughter-in- law and her sister and best friend Dina.

Born to the late Jimmy and Nelly Slater of Fr Matthew Terrace on August 17, 1947, Alice was the third of seven children – six of whom survived into adulthood. 

She attended the Sisters of Charity School before beginning her working life and over the years worked in Bulmers, Mulcahy’s and Digital before eventually settling in Barlos from where she retired on the factory’s closure in 2008.

By 1969 Alice had met and married the late Billy Grant from Murroe, Co Limerick , a soldier at Kickham Barracks in Clonmel. 

They went on to have four children – Denise, Aidan, Caroline and Lisa – and lived in Bianconi Drive until the passing of Alice’s mother Nelly in 1988.

 MOVED BACK ‘HOME’

The family then moved back to the family home in Fr Matthew Terrace to look after her father Jimmy.  Sadly Jimmy passed away the following year, her husband Billy passing 12 months later in 1990.

Despite such tragedy, Alice continued to be a part of her community and remained an active member of Clonmel Branch O.N.E., an organisation which saw her and her late husband Billy make many friendships over the years, not only in Clonmel but in Cork, Dublin and all over Ireland. 

She was also a member of Clonmel Widows Association, St Oliver’s Marion Mothers Guild, the 55 Club and, in later years, was a prominent member and volunteer with Clonmel and District Wheelchair Association.

Alice made a great impression on everyone she met and it was her ever smiling face that stayed with all who knew her. 

She will be remembered for her great sense of humour, her listening ear, her loving heart and her absolute commitment to her family – especially her grandchildren. 

Indeed, such was her ability to affect those around her she even made a lasting impression on the doctors and nurses who tended to her in her final days at Fiona Stanley Hospital in Murdoch, Western Australia. 

On the day before she passed away, the nurses of the Coronary Care Unit, where Alice had been since her admission to hospital, rallied together and helped organise a beautiful ceremony in Alice’s hospital room so that she could be present at Lisa and Darryl’s wedding. It was a bittersweet day but one which all those present will forever cherish.

In the days following Alice’s passing her family were greatly supported by Perth’s Claddagh Association who are a charity that were set up to help Irish people in crisis. 

They supported the family in everything from organising Australian undertakers Bowra and O’Dea, to liaising with the Irish Embassy and were instrumental in getting the wonderful Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust on board so that Alice could be brought home to Clonmel as quickly as possible.

 DEVASTATING TIME

It was a devastating time for the family but they will be forever grateful for the kindness shown by these wonderful charities, their members and all the staff at Fiona Stanley’s CCU.

Alice is survived by her four children, her daughter-in-law Geraldine, her sons-in-law Hugh, Thomas and Darryl, her grandchildren Aoife, Shane, Aisling, Caoimhe, Conor, Aoibheann, Saoirse, Caoilfhionn and Bronagh, great grandchildren Jamie and Maisie, her brothers Gus and PJ, her sisters Mary, Eleanor and Dina. 

She will be greatly missed and forever cherished by her family, friends and neighbours but the good she did and the love she gave will live on in all those who were blessed to know her.

May she rest in peace.