We wish to extend
heartiest congratulations to our Vice President, Paddy Geoghegan, who
has recently been presented with the County Carlow International Man of
the Year Award. He and Marcella travelled over to his home county
earlier this month to a special reception in his honour.
It was a proud homecoming, after almost fifty years in Manchester, to
celebrate the occasion with family, friends and neighbours. Paddy was
born in Staplestown Road, Carlow in 1929. He was educated in the
Christian Brothers School, Carlow. He began work in 1943 in the Boot
Factory and remained there until its closure in 1948.
In January 1949 Paddy joined his sister in Richmond, London where he
worked in the construction industry for two years. In 1949 Paddy joined
the RAF and served for three years in Egypt. Following his time in the
RAF he returned to Carlow and worked in the Sugar Factory for a time.
In 1957 he moved to Manchester where he joined regular employment
with Unilever until it closed in 1984. From 1957 he was involved in his
Trade Union and enrolled in the Labour Party holding several positions
from Ward Chairman to Constituency Party Chairman.
He was elected to Trafford Council in 1982 where he served until
1986.
He was on the Governing Body of four schools, three Catholic and one
Church of England. From the time of his arrival to Manchester in 1957
Paddy Geoghegan was very much involved in the Irish community. He was
elected to the Management Committee of the Irish World Heritage where he
is now Vice President.
He was a founder member of the Carlow Association Manchester in 1991
and was elected as the first Chairman went on to become its President, a
position he held for a number of years. He remains an active member of
the Carlow Association and currently holds the position of Treasurer.
As Chairman of the Carlow Association he initiated a programme in
which the Association nominates a charity to benefit from contributions
made at the Carlow Manchester Annual Dinner. Over the past thirteen
years many organisations received help amongst them were St. Francis
House Hospital for terminally ill children and Irish Community Care.
All the fellow members of the Irish World Heritage Centre Management
Committee wish to convey their congratulations and thanks to you for all
your outstanding work, Paddy. This is an award and honour you rightly
deserve.
Source:
Irish World Heritage Centre News
- December 2005
Death of 2005's International Carlow
Person of the Year
CARLOW recently suffered the loss of Paddy Geoghegan, on 5 March
2009, A native of Carlow, originally from the Staplestown Road, Paddy
left for England in 1948, He joined the Royal Air Force in 1951 and
served in Egypt for five years, in 1957, Paddy relocated to Manchester,
where he decided to settle and make his home. He joined the Labour Party
in 1982 and was duly elected as councillor for the Stretford area. In
1991, he was elected onto the committee of the Irish World Heritage
Association. He served on this committee for many years, where he was
committed to supporting the heritage and values of Ireland. During this
time, he became involved with Manchester Irish Radio, and his voice was
often heard over the air conducting interviews with Irish people
both local and global, paying tributes to those both living and passed,
and always supporting Irish music.
Shortly afterwards, Paddy, with the support and encouragement of wife
Marcella, became the founding member of the Carlow Association in
Manchester. They identified the need to create and maintain links
between all Carlovians living in Manchester, the rest of Britain, and
Ireland itself. Thus the Carlow Association Manchester was created. This
association supported numerous Manchester and Carlow charities over the
years, including Delta Centre Carlow, Heart Foundation Manchester, Irish
Community Care and Children's Hospice Manchester. In addition, monies
raised in many charity events were used to support Carlow people living
in Manchester who had prolonged illness or suffered bereavement.
Paddy and Marcella were regular attendees at Birmingham and London
Carlow Association functions, In 2000, Paddy showed the initial signs of
his illness and he was eventually diagnosed with heart failure. Despite
this diagnosis, Paddy continued his commitment to the association and
travelled to Carlow with Marcella on many occasions.
In 2005, Paddy was honoured in Carlow as 'International Carlow Person
of the Year'. This was a most prestigious honour to be bestowed on him
and one he treasured greatly. At his funeral in St Johns Church, High
Lane, Stockport, Tony Lloyd MP paid a moving tribute to Paddy and the
many elements of his commitment to his constituency. His cousin Eileen
Brophy also paid a personal tribute on behalf of his family and
recognised the respect and high esteem in which Paddy was held by Carlow
Town Council and the fact that three members of Carlow local councils
were attending the funeral to officially pay their respects: cllrs Tom
O'Neill and Loraine Hynes of Carlow Town Council and cilr Des Hurley of
Carlow County Council.
Paddy Geoghegan was a people person, loved by so many, and his
everlasting sense of friendship, his gift of caring and sharing, his
recognition that everyone has a right to be heard and his willingness to
listen, and his pure pride in everything Irish, especially everything
Carlovian. will be sadly missed.
Previously published in 'The Nationalist, May 8th
2009
Source: Michael Purcell