Sally’s funeral was one of the biggest in Carlow town in recent years
The late Sally McDonald
THE obsequies for Sally McDonald, Ballinacarrig, Carlow over Thursday and Friday, 28-29 August, was one of the largest funerals seen in the Carlow town area in recent times, reflective of the popularity of this proud Carlovian. Sally passed away peacefully at SignaCare, Killerig, Carlow, where she had spent the final months of her long and fulfilling life.
She had suffered a stroke in March of this year and was treated with wonderful care at the Acute Stroke Unit at St Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny before being admitted to SignaCare, where she received an equal level of care.
A lengthy queue formed throughout Thursday afternoon and evening at Healy’s Funeral Home, Pollerton Castle, where Sally reposed as people of all shades of local society came to pay their last respects to the McDonald and Doyle families.
Prayers were led by the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin Denis Nulty.
On Friday morning, the funeral Mass for Sally Doyle was celebrated in the Cathedral of the Assumption, where she worshipped all her life in Carlow. Chief celebrant was her brother-in-law, Monsignor John McDonald, PP, Curragh Camp. Monsignor McDonald was assisted by Fr Thomas O’Byrne, Adm, Carlow, Monsignor John McEvoy, PP, Rathvilly, Fr Tom Dillon, PE, CC, Askea, and Fr Tom Lalor, PE, CC, Tinryland.
Readings at Mass were by Keelin McDonald (daughter) and Ross McDonald (son), while the Prayers of the Faithful were recited by Sally’s grandchildren Evan, Fiach, Eimear, Aoife and Tom.
The bringing forward of the Offertory gifts were by Sally’s daughters Brona Duddy and Lisa O’Toole.
A Reflection was read by Karen McDonald (daughter), while granddaughter Caitriona Duddy read a poem that she had written dedicated to Sally.
In a wonderfully crafted eulogy to his mother, delivered at the end of Mass, her son Fergal informed the packed congregation that his mother was born on 14 October 1944 in Dublin’s Portobello Nursing Home, to Valerie (née McEntagart) and Dr Brendan Doyle.
Fergal’s eulogy continued: “She was raised in her early years in Burrin Street, Carlow and then in Grosvenor on the Kilkenny Road.” Sally’s six children in seniority were: Karen, Fergal, Brona, Lisa, Keelin and Ross.
She herself was the eldest of seven children, followed by Pat, Larry, Brendan, Mark, Nicky and Jane.
Fergal’s tribute to his mother went on: “She attended the Mercy Convent Primary School in Carlow and then went to boarding school at the Dominican Convent, Sion Hill, Dublin.
“She took a summer job in the as a junior reporter but eventually chose to follow her great love of sports and physical education and went on to train as a PE teacher in St Raphael’s College, Blackrock, Dublin.”
Sally had said, in her own words: “I was a tomboy and never played with dolls.”
She spent her summers in her beloved Greystones, Co Wicklow in her parents’ holiday home and in her grandmother’s house. She loved the freedom of cycling around with her friends and was a competitive swimmer.
“She had no problem outpacing the lads (at swimming) and they had tests to see who was the most daring. The winner would be called Finn McCool. Sally was mostly Finn.” Fergal described Sally “as a great reader as a child and kept this up throughout her life”.
She started teaching PE in 1964 and spent the week undertaking PE sessions in schools in St Leo’s (Carlow), Portlaoise, Portarlington, Nurney (Kildare), Callan, Enniscorthy and Wexford. “Her daughter Keelin now does something similar as a drama teacher.”
Sally met Larry McDonald – the love of her life – at a Tullow Show dance in August 1964. They married in Greystones Church on Sally’s 22nd birthday, 14 October 1966, and then, in her own words: “I was busy with kids.” She had five children under six years and Ross came along a few years later in 1977.
Fergal said his parents lived in a flat at Pollerton Castle for the first 18 months of their marriage. It was poignant that she spent the previous night (Thursday) reposing in the funeral home there.
He continued: “They built their family home in Ballinacarrig and extended it within a few years to accommodate their six children.
“Workwise, once we had all gone to school, Sally recommenced gymnastics teaching in Askea Girls School, then spent ten years working in the Travellers Training Centre on Cox’s Lane, took on work as a substitute teacher, and ultimately took on work as a substitute teacher in St Lazerian’s Special School, from where she retired aged 65.
“She loved teaching in St Lazerian’s, loved the pupils, staff and atmosphere there. She called the young people there ‘my kids’. The wonderful Paul Scully, a past pupil, paid tribute to her in a condolence in the recent days. He wrote: ‘I have very fond memories of Sally being my class teacher. Class with Sally was always good. We loved having her as our teacher’.” Continuing, Fergal said Sally was also a community activist – “her activities and support for voluntary organisations knew no bounds”.
He went on to outline a number of these organisations, mentioning first her lifelong support as a volunteer with County Carlow Community Games. She was an active member of the Catholic Marriage Advisory Council (now Accord), gave pre-marriage courses and sex education classes to sixth-class school pupils.
Sally trod the boards as a member of Carlow Little Theatre Society (LTS), taking a leading part in the group’s 1971 production of Arthur Miller’s .
A board member of St Catherine’s Social Services, she ran Carlow Junior Tennis Week, was a member of Carlow Vocational Education Committee (VEC) and served on a numerous boards and school parents councils, including St Leo’s and the Presentation College.
Fergal noted that his mother also organised Easter Holiday Fun Week held in the town for several years.
She also found time to run for the local elections in Carlow in 1994.
Another area of activity for Sally was as a CAO advisor to countless students as they navigated their college choices. “She would have been so proud that three of her grandchildren got their college places this week, and her eldest daughter, Karen, recently obtained her master’s from Galway University.”
Sally was a fundraiser for the new gym in St Leo’s College and organised fêtes and field days for children’s day. She was also committed to the elderly, being a strong supporter of St Fiacc’s House in Graiguecullen.
In 2019, Sally had travelled to Uganda with the UgaIrish group led by her friend Siobhán Kinsella. She travelled with Larry and Fr Tom Lalor.
She was awarded the Junior Chamber Person of the Year Award in 1979 and in 2023 was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for services to young people by An Garda Síochána.
In recent years she enjoyed the Elder Group, Carlow Historical and Archaeological Society (CHAS), the local active retirement group and attending An Gairdín Beo.
Fergal told the congregation that perhaps Sally’s most important decision in recent years, and the one of which she was most proud, was her decision to stand up and join John Paul Payne in forming the Carlow Pride Group in 2018. “It represented the essence of what Sally stood for: advancing the rights and opportunities of a minority group and being a true friend to her fellow man and fellow woman – enjoying herself along the way.”
Fergal said his mother was so pleased to be asked to be grand marshal of the Carlow Pride Parade last year. “Unable to walk well, she was chauffeured in a Garda Pride squad car. She loved being part of the group.”
In addition to all these endless activities and energy, Sally was a deeply caring wife to Larry, loving mother to her six children and 15 grandchildren. “She enjoyed their developments and achievements so much and gave them so much of her time, energy and optimism.”
Numerous people had, in Healy’s the previous night, quietly mentioned Sally’s countless private and selfless acts of kindness and love. “She gave her all to those troubled, those bereaved and those suffering. She was strong willed and headstrong. She needed to be, for all she took on and achieved.”
Fergal said it would be unfair to start going through all the achievements that gave her so much joy, but he felt obliged to mention her granddaughter Catriona Duddy from Donegal, who had just recited a poem she had composed for her granny. “Two years ago, she had obtained a temporary teaching job in Tinryland National School in Sally’s parish. Sally was so proud – history repeating itself; another teacher on the road.”
Fergal then turned to Sally’s love of sport and travelling abroad. In 1996, she attended the Olympic Games in Atlanta to see Sonia O’Sullivan race and got to spend a great time with her brother Larry there.
“She was in Peru a number of times to see her sister Pat and to attend weddings of her niece Valerie and nephew Brendan. Sally accompanied her brother-in-law Moses back to Peru with her sister Pat’s ashes after her tragic death in Carlow in 2008.”
Sally loved travelling with Larry, and they travelled to Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Russia, around Europe and the Balkans.
Fergal said Sally was a great letter-writer, emailer, texter and whatsapper. She chronicled every family event by taking numerous photos. “She was so busy taking Ross’s veterinary graduation photos in Liverpool, and anxious to get people in the frame, she walked backwards and landed in a pond. Undeterred, an hour later, in a fresh dress, she photo’d on. You just could not stop her!”
He described her as being deeply curious about people and loved conversation with others and sharing stories. “If you think about it – curiosity is love. She enjoyed great lifelong friendships and new friendships and was nourished by them.”
Her greatest challenge in life, following her stroke five months ago, was that her communication became much more challenging. This was sad for Sally and all who loved her.
“Having loved and cared for so many in life, now it was her turn to be cared for by medics, her adoring family and friends. She faced her stricken state with great fortitude and dignity. Her inner Finn McCool never left her.
“Sally reflected on life in recent years and wrote some important messages for her grandchildren.” Her wish for her epitaph was: .
Her words of advice were: ‘Live your live well, do things you want to do and love each other’.
Her greatest influence in life was: ‘My parents; they brought me up to think of those less fortunate, to get involved in helping the less well off. To be charitable and have a sense of justice.’
Concluding, Fergal said that maybe Seamus Heaney had the likes of Sally in mind in his poem .
The lovely singing of hymns during Mass was by Bernard Hennessy, Mary Amond O’Brien and Aoibhín McDonald (granddaughter), with violinist Aoife Kavanagh and piano by Ollie Hennessy.
Following Mass, Sally was laid to rest in Tinryland cemetery, with Monsignor McDonald reciting the final prayers at the graveside, assisted by Monsignor McEvoy, Fr Lalor and Fr O’Byrne.
Sally is survived by her husband Larry, children Karen McDonald (Thomastown, Co Kilkenny), Fergal (Mullingar, Co Westmeath) Brona Duddy (Churchill, Co Donegal), Lisa O’Toole (Leighlinbridge, Carlow), Keelin McDonald (Blackbog Road, Carlow) and Ross (Athy Road, Carlow), grandchildren Aoibhín, Daire, Dearbhla, Niamh, Catriona, Even, Orla, Fiach, Rory, Moya, Eimear, Aoife, Cara, Emma and Tom, brothers Larry and Mark, sons-in-law Peter, Aiden and Kieran, daughter-in-law Tanya, brother-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, extended family, kind neighbours and her multitude of friends.
Sally was predeceased by her sisters Pat and Jane, brothers Brendan and Nicky and daughter-in-law Barbara Kelly (Mullingar).
May Sally rest in eternal peace.
