Huge sadness over deaths of popular Tipperary couple within six weeks of each other

The deaths of a hugely popular Clonmel couple within six weeks of each other caused profound sadness in the town and further afield.

Timmy and Mary O’Dwyer, Summerhill Drive, are fondly remembered as parents and grandparents for whom family meant everything.

Mary (née Quinlan) died on March 3, 2024, and her death was a huge blow to her husband of 63 years, Timmy, who then sadly passed away on April 13.

While mourning the loss of both their parents in such a short space of time, their children Sandra and Anthony are comforted by knowing that they are united again.

Mary and Timmy had a wonderful married life, totally devoted to each other, who first doted on their children Sandra and Anthony, and then their grandchildren, Samantha and Joseph.

They first met in the late 1950s when Timmy was playing football for Clonmel Commercials in the Barrack Field in Fethard.

Mary was from nearby St Patrick’s Place and Timmy saw her sitting on the back wall and asked her out to a dance in the Collins Hall in Clonmel. That’s where the romance began and they married in 1961 and set up home in 6, Summerhill Drive.

They lived their lives to the full – they loved their holidays, a Saturday night meal at Mings (the Emperor Restaurant), followed by a few drinks and often a sing-song, more often than not with Timmy leading the chorus, including the song that gave him his famous moniker, ‘Delilah’.

But their first loves were their children, Sandra and Anthony, and later grandchildren, Samantha and Joseph, with their eyes lighting up whenever they were around.

While Timmy was a proud son of Clonmel, for Mary it was always Fethard that was ‘home’. She was actually born in Leicester in the UK in 1939 where her parents were living, but they quickly returned home at the outbreak of World War Two – Mary stuffed into an old rubber boot on board the cold ship back to Ireland.

They first lived in Grangemockler, moved to Cork where they spent ten years, and then returned to Tipperary to settle in Fethard.

A hard worker all her life, Mary left school at 15 to provide for her mother and siblings, and devoted her life to looking after her family. She worked in the Ormonde Hotel, where she trained in silver service, and proved to be a perfectionist.

She later became friendly with Babs Nallen and when the Nallen family opened Hotel Minella, Mary moved there to work and loved it.

She also worked in the Clonmel Arms Hotel, Ronans, Mulcahys and Sean Tierneys and loved her work so much that it was a battle for the family to get her to retire aged 74.

But it was in her nature – she loved meeting people, making a fuss of them, making sure everything was perfect and enjoying the banter with all the girls she worked with.

She always loved nature, and in her free time she enjoyed walking the roads around Clonmel, including visits to Marlfield Lake, Frenchman’s Steam and walks on the Blueway along the banks of the Suir.

She even talked to the birds.

A description of Mary always used by those who knew her is that she was a lady – a lady who loved her life, her work and her family.

And her one true love was always Timmy, with that fateful football match leading to over sixty years of happy married life.
While Mary was quieter in nature, Timmy O’Dwyer was larger than life, someone who lived life to the full, loved meeting people and enjoyed a good sing song.

To his legion of friends, he was better known as ‘Delilah’ for his famed party piece.

Born on November 24, 1938 to Willie and Estie O’Dwyer, he was the eldest of a family of four, with two sisters, Kitty and Marie, and a brother Jackie, and the family lived in Queen Street.

Not unlike Mary, Timmy worked hard all his life and was never without a job – his career taking him to his first job in Paddy McGrath’s drapery when he left school, and then on to the Telephone Exchange, Bulmers as a truck driver, followed by a number of years in the UK where he worked in bars and on building sites.

On his return home, he worked for Vincent Morris and Tommy Bolger and in later years drove a taxi for Campbells, Noelie Cabs, Smith Cabs and the late Dessie Quinn.

He also worked in the former Seagate plant.

Timmy was an all-round sportsman, but his first love was basketball.

He was so proud to win a Cidona Tipperary Sports Star award for basketball in 1960, and also won a Munster title with Tipperary, beating a fancied Kerry team in the final.

He played football with Clonmel Commercials and Tipperary, and was an active member of Hillview Sports Club, where he played tennis and badminton, as well as serving as pitch and putt captain.

As a sports fan, he was a very loyal Tipperary hurling supporter as well as a Manchester United fan.

He was a favourite on a Tipp bus trip to a Munster final in Cork or an All-Ireland final in Croke Park as he could always be relied on for a sing-song, when one of his travelling partners was regularly his good friend Jerry Moynihan.

He generally travelled to Old Trafford with Ollie Matthews.

Outside of his real family, Timmy’s second family was St. Mary’s Choral Society. He loved being on the stage when he took part in many of the society’s productions in the White Memorial Theatre.

He also loved the craic in the dressing rooms with his fellow actors, the banter with George Barry, the few pints after the shows and the sing-songs in Daly’s bar.

For a while before his final illness, he was planning to make a comeback to the stage.

Alas, that never happened but generations of Clonmel theatre-goers will have fond memories of his many memorable stage appearances.

If the show in question didn’t feature Timmy’s favourite song, ‘Delilah’, then he was certain to sing it later than night in Daly’s, with ‘Green Door’ and ‘My Way’ also on the playlist.

And there were occasions when fellow diners in The Emperor were also treated to an impromptu concert.

After being together for 63 years, Mary and Timmy were apart for just six short weeks. Their family, still mourning their deaths, are consoled by the thought of them joining in the heavenly choir.

Mary and Timmy are survived by their children, Anthony and Sandra; grandchildren Samantha and Joseph; daughter in law Siobhán; Samantha’s partner Seanie; Timmy’s sisters Marie and Kitty; brother Jackie; nephews, nieces, extended family and friends.