Killybegs remembers ‘cool’ and ‘calm’ gentleman Joe McCarthy
Joe McCarthy helped raise over €19,000 for PSPA Ireland after CBD diagnosis
Fr Colm Ó Gallchóir of St Mary of the Visitation in Killybegs, said that Joe McCarthy “fought the good fight to the end” and “ran the race to the finish” at his Funeral Mass on Saturday, August 1.
Joe McCarthy, of Tullid, Fintra, Killybegs, and formerly of Kilworth, Co. Cork, passed on July 29, after living with a rare neurodegenerative disease, Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD) for a number of years.
During his illness, Joe and his family, raised €19,350 for PSPA Ireland, through their ‘Run for Joe’ awareness campaign and fundraiser, taking up running challenges throughout the country.
At the Funeral Mass, Fr Ó Gallchóir praised Joe’s “warm personality.”
He spoke of Joe as “the cool, calm, and calculated gentleman that he was, indoors and outdoors. A devoted family man, and actively involved in the local community here.
“There wasn’t a bad bone in Joe’s body.”
Joe was remembered as being a “proud Corkman,” a devoted Liverpool fan, and someone who took great pride in attending international Ireland matches in Dublin. He was remembered as someone who “loved people, with a special love for his family, and he loved painting.”
Fr Ó Gallchóir said of how Joe met his Killybegs wife, Anna, whilst she was on a year-long course at a crafts centre in Kilworth, before Joe made his way to Killybegs and began employment.
He commented: “Joe and Anna got married in this chapel on June 11, 1988.
“Within a short while, they headed to San Francisco, where Joe worked for a painting company, becoming a foreman, doing work for the likes of Sharon Stone, Danny Glover, and Raymond Getty, who was then the richest man in the world, while Anna ran an art gallery there.
“Joe was a big Bruce Springsteen fan. He loved music.
While in San Francisco, Joe took up golfing and continued to play golf on his return, playing in Narin & Portnoo every Sunday.
“More importantly, while in San Francisco, Joe and Anna adopted two children from Guatemala, Luke and Ciara. They were so proud of their two children and so proud of the people they became.
“Anna and the children came home here to Killybegs while Joe continued working in the States. He loved the States. He was making sure Luke and Ciara got the best education.”
Highlighting Joe’s children, Fr Ó Gallchóir said: “Luke wanted to say this about his dad. ‘Being adopted, something you often think about who your parents are. But what I learned is, any man can make a child, but not any man can be a father. Dad taught me everything I know, and I will be forever grateful for that, and I feel so honoured that I got to call Joe McCarthy my dad.’
Ciara added: ‘My dad was my dad, and I loved him so much.’
“Of course, Luke went on to Dún Laoghaire, obtaining a degree in music production, and Ciara went to Trinity and qualified as a pharmacist. On return, Anna got employment here at St Catherine’s Vocational School.”
Speaking of Joe’s return to Killybegs, it was said: “When Joe came home, he was employed painting boats and houses, and much more. He was very active in the local community so well respected. Enjoyed being involved with the Cubs and Beavers in Foresters Hall. He loved working with kids.
“The last five years were challenging years. Luke organised ‘Run for Joe,’ raising over €19,000 for the charities supporting research and care for CBD, with Ciara and so many others participating.”
Fr Ó Gallchóir mentioned those who showed kindness to Joe during the previous five years, including staff and management at the Gallagher Bros. Factory, who employed Joe and “allowed Joe his dignity,” along with friends who visited his home, wider family from Cork who attended appointments in Dublin, and carers described as the “best carers that Joe could have asked for.”
Speaking of his children and family, Fr Ó Gallchóir remembered that Ciara and Luke were “two young people who gave up their youth in their twenties for four years, to come home at weekends to help with their dad, when they should have been out, being young adults.
“The love of the bond that was shared between Joe and their children will live in their hearts. They knew he was an example of how to be a good human being. They were his proudest achievement. They will be his living legacy. The enduring impact that Joe’s life had, his personality will live through them.
“Lastly, and most importantly, Anna herself. She was the number one carer around the clock, an amazing devotion that can’t be put into words. She never complained. It was a labour of love.”
Joe will be sadly missed by his loving wife Anna, children Luke and Ciara, their dog Denis, brother and sisters Marie, Hank, and Susie, sisters-in-law, brother-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.