THE people of Clonakilty joined the family and friends of former town mayor Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin to say their final farewell at his funeral last Friday.
Sinn Féin party leader Mary Lou McDonald came to pay her respects to the proud Republican’s wife Nina and his extended family.
The remains of Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin, former Mayor of Clonakilty UDC and Clonakilty Mayoral Council are brought to the graveside in Darrara Cemetery flanked by Ken O'Connell (general secretary of Sinn Féin) and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald. Photo: Martin Walsh.Principal of Gaeilscoil Mhichíl Uí Choileáin – where Cionnaith worked as runaí since 2011 – Pádraig Ó hEachtháirn delivered the eulogy and said that he was very honoured that Cionnaith had requested him to do it.
‘As the week passed I started to smile more and more to myself about his request because being Cionnaith, he loved having jobs for me at school,’ he said.
‘There are very few people in this church whose lives have not been improved by him. He was a man who loved his family, his country, the Irish language but above all else, he loved his town and his community. And they loved him back.’
Padraig said Cionnaith was a tireless advocate for those without a voice and was a fighter for the underdog.
The remains of Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin, former Mayor of Clonakilty UDC and Clonakilty Mayoral Council passing the Tadhg An Astna memorial on its way to the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Clonakilty. Photo: Martin Walsh.‘As an activist, councillor and community member he got things done and this town will forever be in his debt.’
He said everything Cionnaith did was ‘imbued with a wicked sense of humour and his infectious enthusiasm for life’ and he loved ‘to hop the ball.’
Pádraig noted that Cionnaith was the Clonakilty notes correspondent for The Southern Star for 30 years and had sent his last set of notes the previous week before he passed away.
Following the funeral mass guards of honour by both pupils of his beloved school as well as members of Clonakilty Tidy Towns took place along the streets as the funeral cortege made its way to Darrara Cemetry for Cionnaith’s final resting place.
