Pat will be fondly remembered as a well-known and popular Carlow businessman

IT WAS with great sadness that family and friends of the late Pat Cantwell gathered to say their final goodbyes and lay him to rest at St Mary’s Church, Bennekerry on 18 January.

Pat passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family at St Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny on 16 January following a long illness bravely borne.

Pat, a well-known and popular local businessman, was a devoted father to his family of five children Nicola, Paul, Barry, Muireann and Aoife and a loving husband to Mary, his wife for almost 58 years. He is also survived by his 15 grandchildren, who each played a special part in his funeral Mass, which was a beautiful celebration of his life involving music and singing arranged by Bernard Hennessy.

Pat, who formerly ran the successful dry cleaning business Ard Rí Cleaners, was a familiar sight to many in Carlow town over the years as he went about his daily business, driving his van through the town, usually with a cigarette in his mouth, arm rested on the window as he collected and delivered laundry and dry cleaning.

Although he could easily be mistaken as a local man, Pat was born and bred in nearby Castlecomer, where he grew up with his two older brothers Brendan and Phil in Mary Ville. Pat’s father Tom was a local blacksmith, while his mother Margaret was a popular lady who was involved in the local ICA and loved to play bingo.

Pat often spoke fondly of his years growing up in ’Comer, recounting how a lad might forget to bring his schoolbag or his books to school, but never his hurl! Pat had happy memories of playing around the river and fields in ’Comer and remembered being reared on salmon. He attended primary school at the convent in Castlecomer and completed his education at the vocational school. Although not a lover of school, Pat was never shy of hard work and was eager to get himself out into the working world. From an early age, Pat picked up odd jobs such as blowing the bellows for his father in the forge, delivering telegrams on his bicycle, or running errands whenever needed.

Pat was an active, fit man and he enjoyed playing numerous sports when he was younger. ‘Screwy’, as Pat was fondly called on the soccer pitch, was part of the first team to play a home game at Deen Rovers’ grounds on the ’Comer Road. He also enjoyed playing rugby and lined out for both Kilkenny and Carlow rugby clubs.

Pat had a lifelong love and respect for hurling, and followed Kilkenny religiously over the years, sharing their highs and lows. Pat always enjoyed shooting and fishing and instilled this same love of nature in his children. In later years, he enjoyed playing golf with his wife Mary and used the gym and pool facilities at the Talbot Hotel every day after Mass during his retirement.

Once Pat’s school days were over, he moved to Dublin with a few of his ’Comer friends and got his first job as a salesman with Donnelly’s Sausages. This included a van, much to the lads’ delight, as it meant they could still make it back to ’Comer at weekends for the local dance.

Following his stint in Dublin, Pat moved back to Kilkenny, where he took a job in IMCO Dry Cleaners as a presser. It was around this time that Pat first met his wife Mary at Tinryland Tennis Club, where the locals were taking on Castlecomer in a tennis match. The stars aligned and Pat moved to Carlow soon after to take up a job with Celtic Linen as dry-cleaning manager for Carlow and Wexford … and the rest, as they say, is history. The pair were married in 1967, built their home on the Tullow Road and started a family. In 1972, with the support of Mary, Pat decided to go out on his own and opened his first dry cleaning business on Burrin Street.

Through pure hard work, a shrewd eye to spot an opportunity and an admirable energy to pursue these opportunities, Pat and his wife Mary built up a very successful business in Carlow town. At its height, Ard Rí Cleaners had three premises on the go – a drop-off shop on Tullow Street, the main dry cleaners on Burrin Street and a bustling launderette on Kennedy Street. As well as dry cleaning, Ard Rí did laundry for local businesses, hairdressers, hotels and sports clubs, making Pat a familiar face to many over the years.

The modern windows on the glass-fronted shop in Burrin Street were an iconic sight, giving the men working inside welcome fresh air away from the steam-press machines, but they were also a social hub for passersby to stop and chat, discuss local news and put affairs of the world to right. Just across from the main post office, it was a regular stop for many to collect their freshly-pressed dry cleaning in the familiar blue and white striped bags. Pat, Tom Nolan and Billy Brooks were a familiar sight as they downed tools each day at 11am to have a cup of tea, a slice of chester cake from Crotty’s and look out or chat to passersby.

Pat was a man of routine and could be followed like clockwork as he left for work at 7am each morning to open up and get the machines running, before heading to early Mass in the Capuchins or later the cathedral, in advance of his working day. At Christmas time, he would often stay until 10pm or 11pm at night to keep up with the work.

Having become so used to working hard all his life, it took great encouragement from his family for Pat to retire in his 60s and get used to a different way of life. His wife Mary had plenty of trips planned and together they travelled on adventures to South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, Alaska and Australia, as well as returning to their favourite haunts in the Canaries and in Wexford.

Pat enjoyed playing golf and bridge with Mary and following rugby, soccer and hurling on television as well as playing solitaire on the computer during his newfound free time.

Pat always enjoyed being around his 15 grandchildren. He had a special way of slowing down and connecting and engaging with each one of them. He showed real interest in how they were getting on and was always full of encouragement and praise for them. He loved to see his children and his grandchildren getting on well and finding happiness.

Pat always had a deep appreciation for the natural world and an ability to spot the wonder and beauty in everyday things, so it was no great surprise that his main interests during retirement were gardening, photography and his wildlife projects. Pat and his good friend Joe Geoghegan showed great foresight in setting up the first wildlife committee in Carlow Golf Club, which involved reintroducing native birds, nest boxes and feeders to the golf course, which greatly enhanced the biodiversity and the natural appeal of the club. This led to a thriving bird population, but also added another level of enjoyment for golfers and visitors to the area, much to the delight of Pat. This was a great legacy that Pat was rightfully proud of.

Pat lived with dementia over the final years of his life, an illness he bore with incredible bravery and dignity. His love for his family, his ability to slow down, be present and find beauty in the moment endured, and was a source of comfort and reassurance to all.

He continued to be an anchor, a stalwart for his family. Pat found joy in music and singing and always loved a bit of craic and a good laugh. Through it all, Pat never forgot to smile and to show gratitude and to thank people when they showed him kindness. And so, I hope that when we think of Pat, we look back and think of a life hard-worked but well-lived and remember to smile and be grateful for the strong, wonderful man, father and husband that he was.