The Devenney family pay moving tributes to their beloved father and sister

In the midst of their immense grief, members of the Devenney family bravely paid moving tributes to their sister Margaret and father Patrick.

Arlene, Maria and Brendan spoke from the altar ahead of Saturday’s Funeral Mass in the Church of All Saints, Newtowncunningham. 

Immense sorrow as funeral of Patrick Devenney and Margaret Sullivan take place

Mourners gather from near and far to pay respects to father and daughter

Arlene began the eulogy with fond memories of her father Patrick.

“The one word we heard growing up all our lives is the absolute legend he was. That was highlighted so much in the last few days.

She said many people had shared stories about her father over the last few days, from people he had worked with over the years, including at McDaid’s and especially, the Golden Grill. 

“There are actually some stories we can’t say at Mass but let’s just say Dad could hold his own,” said Arlene.  

She explained that football boots had been brought to the altar to symbolise Patrick’s love of both Gaelic and soccer. 

“Dad played with so many teams over the years, won countless trophies,” said Arlene. 

Teams included Sons of Erin, St Mary’s, Lagan Harps and Killea FC.

“But Naomh Colmcille was his life,” continued Arlene. 

“Dad was a tough opponent to come up against.

“Past players have shown me their war scars after coming up against Daddy. And God did he love to hear those stories” 

“Dad actually told us he was never shown a red card in all his days of playing football. But a referee told Maria last night: ‘We were actually too scared to send him off!’

Arlene said her Dad kept himself fit, and looked like he was in Baywatch coming out from the New Year’s Day swim in Newtowncunningham, an annual fundraiser for the hospice. 

She went on to say how positive a man her father had been.

“We craved his company,” said Arlene. “He was so social, had loads of stories. We had the best craic in Granny Polly’s. 

“Dad’s party piece was his famous Newtown Irish song and it changed every time he said it. He also had about seven verses of a poem called Piddlin’ Pete.”

Arlene told those gathered that her Mum Imelda moved to Northampton in the 1960s and she loved the Friday night dances. A fellow Newtowncunnigham man, the late Vincent McDaid, said, ‘Imelda, you love to jive, I can’t wait for you to meet my friend Patrick Deveney.’

“Mum met Dad that next Friday night and jived all night,” said Arlene.

“After that first night, my Mum didn’t want to tell her Mum but she said to herself, ‘I’m going to marry that man.’”

Arlene’s sister Maria continued the eulogy. 

She said: “Dad and Mum have been best friends and they have been each other’s rock all their lives.

“There’s many a night we all sat round with Mammy and Daddy and they were telling stories, reminiscing, and we could be half an hour deciding if it was 1962 or 1963, and it would have no relevance to the story!

“We will never know how Mum had the strength to look after Dad so well as she did when he was sick. That unmeasurable strength gave him so much through sickness. But we won’t let that define him. He was so positive. All the consultants, doctors, were amazed at his mental strength right up to the very end.”

Maria spoke of how her parents had created the most loving family home, not just for their own children but for the extended family.  

“We are so blessed to have so many memories to get us through this really tough time,” she said.

Recalling Patrick’s final moments, Maria said: “One of the last things we heard was Brendan here saying in the hospice to Dad, ‘You’re our hero Dad’ and it was something out of a movie because Mam her two hands around his face and gave him a kiss and she said, ‘It’s ok to go’ and he took his final breath. 

“He is holding on tight to Margaret, and he will look after her, and we love him so very much.”

Brendan told those gathered that the task had fallen to him to share memories of his sister Margaret. 

“When it got past the point of all the pressure and the sadness of her death and her last moments, I closed my eyes and I thought about Margaret and if you close your eyes now, you will think about her smiling face,” he said. 

“That’s the only way we can remember Margaret.

“I had this amazing relationship with her. 

“Treasa used to take a hand at me and go ‘who’s your favourite?’ and I’d say, ‘We are so tight, we don’t have favourites,’ and she goes, ‘No, I think Margaret is becoming your favourite.’”

He spoke about how Margaret never judged anyone. 

“I could be whoever I wanted with her,” said Brendan. “I didn’t have to pretend to be anything. You could be as wacky as you wanted. Margaret loved it.”

He said that when he thought about how best to remember her, he felt that it was through writing a poem.
Brendan mourners that he had written a poem for her before on the occasion of her hen night, which she had insisted he attend. 

“Myself and Brian McLaughlin, my good mate, me and him got dressed up Miami Vice style, Crockett and Tubbs. 

“We landed into this restaurant in Dunfanaghy and I gave Margaret her poem because I knew she would love it. 

“So I wrote one for her today.”

To Mags, my beautiful sister
My beautiful sister, we love you all the while
Your piercing eyes, that loving smile, 
I’d walk a day just to see it one more time.
Your loving spirit if to measure on high
Would clear the tops of giants 
Like Muckish and Errigal into the sky
You shone so bright like a summer sun 
Bathing us in that warmth and love 
Keep shining down on us from above. 
A daughter, a sister, a mother, a friend, a wife
You did all with such natural kindness 
That made us feel at home 
With Margaret around, you could never feel alone.
Ah Mags you fought on so many fronts 
My beautiful sister, a true warrior
Always getting on with life despite the pain
So proud of how you lived that life
Until your final day came
I struggle to see the world without our precious Mags
It feels so so grey without your rainbow of colour
To sweep all our sadness and cares away.
Everyone here was so fond of you
Please keep Margaret in your hearts as she would you.
But my beautiful sister, she lives on
Through the gifts of Ethan and Molly, how she loved you so
My solemn promise here today
Is we are with you every step of the way 
From here on, on this unthinkable day
I love you my beautiful sister