Late Mary Breslin, Bundoran - ‘a life of success and selfless generosity’

There was a huge outpouring of sadness, sorrow and sympathy following the peaceful death of Mary Breslin (née Conway), St. Joseph's Villa, Church Road, Bundoran last Tuesday last, October 4, at home surrounded by her loving family.
A native of Portumna in Co. Galway, Mary was a very well known and popular face around the wider locality as both in a professional and personal capacity, she loved meeting people.
Her Funeral Mass took place last Friday morning at Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea, in Bundoran where Canon Ramon Munster P.P. said in his homily:
“In these difficult days in parish life when we have lost so many good parishioners down through the last number of years and when we are trying to get other people to make different types of contributions to life in the parish, it has become very difficult.
“But in days gone by, there were many very, very generous, kind and thoughtful people in all our parishes and Mary was one of those.
“She didn't look for any great pat on the back for her contribution in the parish but she had her own faith. She put that faith into practice in a personal way.”
A daughter of the late Tom and May Conway she attended the local primary school in Portumna before attending the Convent of Mercy in Gort.
“She was a young lady who was very interested in keeping herself very fit and she loved walking and dancing in the early days and that never left her.”
After leaving school she developed a great interest in meeting and dealing with other people.
This eventually led her to taking up a job as a receptionist in the Great Southern Hotel in Killarney.
She later came to Bundoran, where she worked in similar roles in the Great Northern Hotel, the Holyrood Hotel and the Allingham Hotel.
“After Gerry and Mary met, they developed a very close relationship, which led to marriage in November 1978. This took place in the Basilica of St John Lateran in Rome where they also later received a blessing from Pope John Paul II in the Vatican,” Canon Munster said.
“Raising four children, they dedicated their lives to the happiness and upbringing of their family.
“During that time of parenting Mary also continued to use her time in meeting people, through her involvement with Meals on Wheels, Bundoran playschool and the Community Games during the 1980 and 1990s.”
It was also recalled that Mary had a souvenir shop on Station Road in the 80s and for some 30 years ran a B&B in the house on Church Road.
Mary and Gerry met and kept in contact with people from all over the world, who came to visit Bundoran and stayed with them.
Canon Munster spoke of the sadness when Mary became ill and the love and devotion of Gerry and her family, and Mary’s own family who “gave much of their time to care for her as well as the wonderful medical people”.
He said the extended family can be very content that they did everything they could to help Mary, “a good wife and mother”, during her time of illness and in her final days.
“She used all her talents in family, community and in our parish life, filling her life with success which was generous and not selfish.”
Predeceased by her parents Tom and May and sister Ann Kennedy, Mary is survived by her beloved husband Gerry and loving children Alan, David, Caroline and Jacqeuline.
Also deeply regretted by her son-in-law Donal Gallagher, daughter-in-law Shawna, grandchildren Lauren, Emily, Charlie, Kieran, Conall and Finnian, her sisters Rita (Galway), Josephine (Dublin), and Sandra (Ennis), her brothers Frank (Portumna) and Billy (Cardiff), brother-in-law Enda Breslin (Mullingar), sister-in-law Anne McEvoy (Kilkenny) and all her nieces, nephews, relatives and neighbours to whom deepest sympathy is extended..
Burial took place afterwards in St. Ninnidh's Cemetery, Newtown, Bundoran.