Gaelscoil mourns recent untimely deaths

The school mourns the passing of Nicky O’Connor last Tuesday, 9th September 2009 in Waterford Regional Hospital following injuries sustained during a fall six weeks ago.

Nicky was a loving father to Aodh Ó Conchubhair, Sixth Class; Finn, Fourth class; Dónal, Second class; Paddy, Snr. Infants; and Seadh, Naíonra Philib Barún; and Peig 4 months old. Our sincere and heartfelt sympathies go to Úna, Nicky’s partner and indeed to the O’Connor and Dunphy families.

Pupils and parents formed a guard of honour as the coffin was brought to Holy Cross Church, Tramore, on Friday last, as a mark of respect to a father who was daily at the school, collecting and dropping his boys with no fuss but maybe a whistled tune and a spring in his step reflecting his confidence in Kilkenny’s ability to defeat the lesser hurlers of this world.

We also send our sympathies to the Gavin family as they mourn the recent death of Ben. A former member of the board of management of the Gaelscoil, Ben and his wife Breda supported the school from its inception. It was Ben who brought Martin Cullen to the school in the early nineties before he was a TD even and showed him the condition of our accommodation. Jenna the younger of Ben’s daughters left the school two years ago.

Related Articles

• The Late Nicky O’Connor (Munster Express Online, 18 September 2009)
• Unbearable Grief (Marion O’Mara, Waterford News & Star, 15 September 2009)
• Death of former Port ‘Skipper’ Ben Gavin (Jamie O’Keeffe, Munster Express, 28 August 2009)