'For a man who seemed never to be in a hurry, he got so much done' - former Cllr Jim Lynch laid to rest

There was a huge outpouring of sadness, but a wonderful and poignant reflection on a life of immense community service at the funeral of the late Jim Lynch (75), which took place at St Eunan's Cathedral, on Sunday afternoon. 

A former mayor of Letterkenny, he had also been a long standing member of Letterkenny Town Council. 

Deceased from Fearsaid Mór, Dromore, Letterkenny was reared in Ard O'Donnell, was also the retired Principal of Colmcille National School, Ballindrait.

Reflecting on the huge contribution the former councillor had made to Letterkenny and Donegal life in general, Mgr Kevin Gillespie Adm., VF, believed that Jim had inherited much of his inspiration from his late mother, Kathleen.

"The amazing thing about Jim Lynch is that for a man who seemed never to be in a hurry, he got so much done. It's quite amazing . . . he seemed to find time for everything, that was important."

Mgr Gillespie told mourners: 
"One of the things that struck me about Jim in these last few days was his similarity with his mother. Unfortunately, I did not know Kathleen Mullen, but visiting up with Patsy at Ard O'Donnell on Friday morning, when I went up, I found it hard to believe that Jim could have passed so quickly.  
"The subject of their mother came up and how among her many impressive qualities was the fact that she was a tremendous talker and a tremendous visitor and had a lively interest in politics.
"There was a wake that she would not have unattended and often one of the family was commandeered to be a chauffeur and would find themselves waiting outside a wake house, maybe for one hour or two hours or more, at a time that cars had much less heating, than they do nowadays. She enjoyed the conversation and was not in one bit of a hurry. It's lovely when you see this going from one generation to another and in Jim's case, it was very clear the apple hadn't fallen far from the tree.
"I was taken by Cróna's and Ríana's conversation with me, when they were little girls and they would have the experience of coming in with Jim into town for some purpose or another and they would find themselves invariably walking along the street and Jim would bump into somebody that they knew and the conversation would start.
"And as little girls, or little boys do, five minutes is an eternity, what could half an hour have been like. 
"They would circle his legs and signal their boredom and tuck at his sleeves, but to no avail. He'd tell them to wait. And then when he moved on from the conversation, he'd look down at them and say, 'that was your second cousin, you know!', and then further along the street, the same thing would happen again and another conversation.
"The amazing thing about Jim Lynch is that for a man who seemed never to be in a hurry, he got so much done. It's quite amazing. In conversation with Dervla Keyes yesterday afternoon we were just reflecting on all the things that Jim had been involved with and all his achievements, yet he was so laid back. He'd make us feel lazy, even if we are fairly busy, because he got so much, achieved.
"He seemed to find time for everything, that was important."  
Fr Gillespie used the analogy of the small mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds, growing into a big bush, through a thought or a small conversation that Jim would have engaged with, "to build up a community in which all would find a place, encouragement, opportunity, and could in their own turn, make a contribution to building up a community in which they lived."
While some people called him a community activist, Mgr Gillespie said he was better described as a "community actor, he did things to build up the community and to serve the individual, the citizen, if you will. He was as much active as he was an activist." 
He spoke of Jim's teaching methods and being "a lovely teacher to have had".
Referencing his love of local history, he added: 
"He had a sense of everything that surrounds us in Donegal that speaks of generations and generations in our community. Lives of faith and lives of a community that lived for one another and helped one another."  
"Jim must have nurtured generations of children in Cloughfin and I imagine he was a humane and stimulating teacher. Apparently school tours could take unexpected turns and land back at all hours but still stimulated by what they had learned and also the fun they had had."
"Letterkenny was Jim's community par excellence. He loved every street and stall. He loved the river and its valley, the family and their stories."
"He made an incredible contribution and an intelligent one in so many ways. The community centre was the cherished place for Jim for all the reasons that I have mentioned."

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Mgr Gillespie also alluded to the deceased's involvement in the Letterkenny Reunion, the Tidy Towns committee, Letterkenny Heritage Group, Letterkenny Memories and the regeneration of the Church Lane.
"He loved the GAA, would have been very happy with St Eunan's victory over Kilcar and he was full of pride for his town and for the people in it and the people who have lived in it. 
"And he wanted to make a contribution that the people who would be in it now and in the future would also add to this town and to what it's worth."
"He was a walking encyclopedia of this town" which had been captured in the Letterkenny Annuals, a treasure trove for local historians.
He had a thoughtful, insightful intelligence and constructive approach to things, was not selfish with his talents and was happy for others to take the reins and was never greedy for acknowledgement, "quite the contrary".  
In his life in politics, Mgr Gillespie said Jim had been "quietly persistent" seeking things that were to the benefit of the whole community.
His passing is deeply regretted by Mary and his children, Cróna Kerr and her husband Tommy, Ríana Lynch and her husband Richard McCollum, Fionán Lynch, Pål Brandsdal and his partner Mona Haugen, his Grandchildren Aoibh, Moya, Elliot and Indi, siblings Bridie Keys, Frances Kerr, Joan Calpin (Ballyshannon), Patsy Lynch, Cathal Lynch, Jacqueline Kelly, Brenda McClafferty, Katrina Murphy (Dublin), Linda Elliot, Fidelma Gallagher, in-laws, friends relatives and neighbours to whom deepesy sympathy is extended.

After the Funeral Mass, the deceased was interred in Conwal Cemetery.