Fógraí bháis: Kathleen McCarron

Kathleen McCarron

IT was with great sadness that the communities of Threemilehouse in Monaghan, and Loughmacrory in County Tyrone, along with friends from much further afield, learned of the death of Kathleen McCarron of Blackraw, on 15 July last.
Kathleen is survived by her husband Patsy, daughter Edel, and son Adrian. She is also survived by her mother Winnie, sister Teresa, brothers Seán and Nesha, and by a multitude of loving friends and relations. She was predeceased by her father John, and brothers Gerard and Martin.
On Saturday last, 18 July, a large crowd attended Kathleen’s funeral at St Mary’s Chapel, Threemilehouse. A lifelong republican, her coffin was draped with the Tricolour and football jersey and was flanked by a guard of honour from the Seán Mac Diarmada Ladies Football Club and the Drumnakilly Martyrs Committee. The national flag had been placed on her coffin by Long Kesh escapee Seamus Campbell and family friend Cathal Kelly. Both were personal friends of Kathleen
Kathleen, aged 51, had spent two years bravely battling with a serious illness. The McCarron and Harte families were joined by hundreds of sympathisers from the Monaghan and Tyrone areas, and indeed further afield, to say their farewell to this proud woman who had touched the lives of so many people during her own, sadly too short, life time.
The large numbers of people who passed through the McCarron household over the wake period were an indication of the great esteem in which Kathleen was held.

RESISTANCE
Born into a strong republican family in Loughmacrory, County Tyrone, Kathleen witnessed and experienced the brutality and the reign of terror of the British Government in that part of our country. She witnessed the brave resistance of her local community to that presence. Kathleen knew what was wrong and knew what to do about it – and she did it.
Because of her involvement in the republican struggle, Kathleen and her family suffered constant harassment and abuse from the occupation forces. She saw many tragedies in her local area. The greatest of these was 21 years ago when her brothers Gerard and Martin, along with Brian Mullin, were murdered by British forces near Drumnakilly.
When Kathleen and Patsy married in 1982, and she swapped the lovely countryside around Loughmacrory with the equally lovely drumlin country of Monaghan, the new McCarron home had an open door and a welcome for everyone. Visitors were always treated to tea and refreshments. Kathleen retained her strong republican convictions and there were many long political debates.
Kathleen played ladies football, first for Carrickmore in Tyrone and then for the Seán Mac Diarmada club in Threemilehouse. Her former team-mates say that she was a fearless player on the field and a friendly and supportive person off the field. She served on the local club committee. She remained an ardent Tyrone supporter.
The centre of Kathleen’s world was her family. She always had great love and respect for her husband Patsy. She was very proud of their daughter and son Edel and Adrian. They, in turn, can be very proud of their mother.

PROUD REPUBLICAN WOMAN
During his graveside oration, local Sinn Féin Councillor Pat Treanor expressed the deepest and sincerest sympathy of the Republican Movement to Patsy, Edel, Adrian and the wider McCarron and Harte family.
“Kathleen McCarron was a very proud republican woman. She had a deep conviction and a strong commitment that the division of Ireland was wrong and she worked bravely to advance the cause of Irish unity and self-determination,” he said.
Among those in attendance at the funeral were West Tyrone MP Pat Doherty, Cavan/Monaghan TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and Assembly member Barry McElduff, along with many other local Sinn Féin elected representatives from throughout both Monaghan and Tyrone.
I measc laochra na hÉireann go raibh a hanam dílis.