MORAN MAG 2018 Welcome to this year’s Moran Mag. To all in Ballinrobe, up for the Cup or down for the Do, enjoy! This year’s streamlined Moran Mag features a tribute to the late great Séamus Healy, a stalwart of the Moran Clan, who sadly passed away in February. Séamus was an ever-present figure at the Moran Cup and Do over many decades, stretching back to the earliest origins of the Moran gatherings in the late 60’s and early 70’s. One of Séamus’ many contributions, which have enriched and encouraged Moran family unity and continuity, came in 2005 when Séamus inaugurated the Junior Moran Cup, thus encouraging and celebrating the participation of the younger generations in the annual Moran Cup and Do. Seamus was keenly aware and proud of his Moran family heritage. At the Moran Do in 2013, after much careful research, Séamus and Ellen presented to each individual of the assembled Clan, their personal copy of the Revised Edition of ‘The Morans of Lavallyroe’ book. Not to be overlooked, Séamus was also a valuable contributor to the Moran Mag, writing recent articles such as “Beginnings” in 2012 and “First Grandchild to Emigrate to USA” in 2016. Many thanks go to Áine, Ellen and all the Healy family for writing Séamus’ story and sharing their beautiful memories in this year’s Moran Mag. Séamus’ caring, friendly, thoughtful, loving presence will be greatly missed by us all. Upcoming 50th Anniversary Special Edition Moran Mag Plans are already under way for a commemorative 50th Anniversary Moran Mag in 2019. The representatives for each family line will be in touch with you to gather memories, photos, news stories and other articles for the 50thAnniversary Mag. Get your thinking hats on for stories and articles you want to be included in next year’s souvenir Moran Mag. It’s gonna be a keeper, so don’t miss out on getting your family’s story included!!
Anne Moran’s 80th Birthday Bash!!
Pat & Ellen >> John A & Babe >> Tony & Anne Congratulations to Anne Moran of Ballyhaunis, who celebrated her 80th birthday in July this year, surrounded by an impressive extended family, including daughter Helen, Geraldine and grandchildren home from New York.
Remembering Ann Moran Ann Moran (nee O'Meara) was born in July 1933 in Roscrea, Co. Tipperary. She passed away in St Vincent's, Dublin on 27th Sept 2017. Apart from being a mother and wife, Ann was a lifelong golfer and golf administrator. She played in the Moran Cup (for women?) as well as in the British Ladies Open. She enjoyed victories at national level with clubs in Dublin, Lahinch and Douglas. Ann maintained her involvement with Delgany Golf Club to her last summer, organising the Junior golf every Thursday. Mná na hÉireann have lost a quiet leader. Tom Moran is grateful for the kind and loving support from family and relatives over the past year. (Picture: Ann with eldest granddaughter Gillian)
Pat & Ellen >> Paddy & Mae >> Tom & Ann Moran
James Patrick (Séamus) Healy : 1933 – 2018
Pat & Ellen >> Kit & Martin Healy >> Séamus Healy
As the crow flies, it’s 4,402 miles from Ballinlough to Walla Walla, Washington State, USA. Borrowing from the old saying…. you can take the man out of Ballinlough, but you can’t take Ballinlough out of the man! The deep roots of the Avenue, his father’s workshop, Nathy’s, the bog, Ballyhaunis, Castlerea, Ballaghdereen, Aughamore, and Ballinrobe, became the umbilical cords that never let go of Séamus’s love for his native home, and surrounding area. Born in the Avenue, Ballinlough, in June 1933, James (Séamus) Patrick Healy was the eldest of Kit and Martin’s five children. He was joined over the next eight years by his siblings Maura, Martin, Sean and Helen. His father, Martin, worked as a carpenter and his mother, Kit, was a dressmaker. He attended Carrick National School, a mile out the road, where he had to keep a watchful eye on his younger siblings, one of whom was known to try and escape from school! He spent a year of his primary education in Tooreen N.S., where he spent time with his paternal grandparents. His brother Martin remembers him as a child using a stick to hit a ball against a wall, maybe an early sign of his interest in golf! In September 1946, Séamus left Ballinlough to start his secondary schooling, as a boarder, for the following four years, in St. Nathy’s College. A scholarly student, he made good progress in his studies. He also honed his football skills and played on the Nathy’s team that won the Connacht Colleges’ competition in 1949. Séamus often told the story of how the boarders survived the big snow of 1947 due to the proximity of Cunniffe’s Bacon Factory to the College! Séamus, who worked regularly with, and learned so much from his father in the Workshop, was amazed to note that the “3,4,5” rule the carpenter used was related to Pythagoras’ Theorem he had learnt in St. Nathy’s. Inheriting his father’s
craftsmanship, he and was able to turn his hand to anything – DIY, electrical tasks, plumbing. One summer he made a wooden “cart” for Helen’s children, Aisling and Diarmuid, and they spent the summer travelling to Granlahan and back in it. On another trip home he and his nephew Dominick manufactured some built-in wardrobes for Dominick’s bedroom, passing on his skills to the next generation. A year before he was due to sit for the Leaving Cert, he sat the Matriculation exam, and achieved at the high level required for admission to All Hallows Seminary in Drumcondra, Dublin. Following ordination in June 1956, Séamus was assigned to the State of Washington, USA, where he embarked on a long and fulfilling career of pastoral ministry and teaching assignments in communities, large and small, throughout the Spokane Diocese. Initially allowed home to Ireland every three years, he made the most of these holidays. From the early 1960s, arrival in Shannon was a special moment. Séamus knew every stone on the road home, sometimes trying to impress driver and other visitor (Fr Mike O’Neill) by pretending he could read the road sign ‘Corofin a mile and a half’, long before they came to it! Stopping off at Hayden’s in Gort for the ‘full Irish’ was a special treat after the long flight. A day’s rest, and then full of energy, with a rented car from Brendan Carroll, and packets of Pall Mall, he was off for golf with Jack, PJ, Paddy, and Albert Moran – go ndéana Dia trócaire orthu - or away to the races in Galway, Tuam, Roscommon, and the Curragh. Séamus looked forward to nearly annual visits to Ireland where he relished catching up with the extended family of all ages, and his many friends. He particularly enjoyed meeting with relations on his mother’s side of the family at the annual gathering of the Moran clan, now comprising some 100 members. During these summer breaks, Séamus was delighted to celebrate the marriages of three of his siblings. He enjoyed spending time with his nieces and nephews, who were so fond of him, and amazed by his ability to jump over the fence, to sleep until noon, and then have a cup of tea and a cigarette, before devouring, with his bacon and cabbage!, the flowery, and much ‘debated’ Irish “spuds”, supplied by Ned Hurley. It was at one of the summer golf/racing occasions that the idea of a family golf competition emerged and, in 1969, the first ever Moran Cup was contested in Ballyhaunis. This became an event that Séamus looked forward to each year, and his trips home were often planned to coincide with “The Do”. His name appears on the “Pat Moran Cup” three times, and he was very proud to
regain the cup in 1997 after a gap of a few decades! His love for the competition saw him sponsor the Junior Cup, which was inaugurated in 2005. As well as the cup, the lucky winner normally got “a few bob” from Séamus. After 26 dedicated years of pastoral service, Séamus made the very difficult decision to leave the priesthood, in the summer of 1982. Séamus married Ellen L. Wolf in Monroe, Washington, in 1983, where they made their home, and then moved to Walla Walla in 1990. Séamus was a loving, engaged and supportive partner to Ellen throughout her career in educational leadership and community service. In December 1989, they made their first visit together to Ireland. It was an interesting introduction for Ellen to Séamus’ home place, and made especially memorable by the production of the Nativity Play at Carrick N.S. This was to be the first of many visits to Ballinlough for Séamus and Ellen, and we are delighted that Ellen is joining us again during this ‘heat wave summer’ of 2018. When Ellen retired from her work as Superintendent of Schools, the trips to Ireland became an annual event, and the summers would be spent at Séamus’s brother Sean’s house in Ballinlough, where Sean and Pat in Mountain Upper always provide a warm and generous Céad Míle Fáilte. Their visits were further enriched by the good company of Ȧine, Paddy and their young family next door, overlooking the beautiful sight of Lake O’Flynn. These trips often included a stop off in Virginia to spend time with his sister Maura and her family. Séamus and Ellen spent many happy days and nights in Dublin, Ballinrobe, Ballyconneelly, and enjoyed joining Helen’s family in Benalmadena, Woodstown, Albufeira, Ardmore, and Inchedoney. Séamus’s brother Martin would often make the ‘pilgrimage’ to Ballinlough for early August and the three brothers, or the “three wise men” as we called them, would often work together in the bog, or on different construction jobs, just as they did when they were young. He never lost his ability to finish reeking the turf and many a happy hour was spent on such work. Time in Ballinlough would be spent reading, doing the crossword and watching Glorious Goodwood and the Galway Races on the television. Séamus and Ellen attended many of our weddings and, in 2015, they crossed the Atlantic twice – in March, to attend the wedding of Seán’s son, Dominick, to Sinéad and, in July, they made the trip to Ravello, in Italy, to attend the marriage of Helen’s daughter, Eleanor to Phil, where they were also delighted to meet up with Helen’s sister, Maura, who was accompanied by her sister-in-law, Dympna Joyce, as well as Paddy and Ȧine, Dominick and Sinéad who were also at the wedding.
They greatly enjoyed spending time with their nieces and nephews, meeting the new additions each summer, and were always interested in how they were getting on. Their generosity to the growing band of nieces and nephews was very much appreciated, and we are grateful for the time they were able to spend with them. They made what was to be their last trip to Ireland together in 2016, where they again attended the Moran Cup. Séamus took great pride in his Moran lineage and, in 1994 and 2013, updated the publication - “The Morans of Lavallyroe” – initiated by Ronan Maguire in 1970. Jim, as he was known stateside, enjoyed his life in Walla Walla. He had many good friends, lived in a house that backed onto the golf course, and even dabbled in wine making. He was a great entertainer and loved to tell ‘a good yarn’, which would always be accompanied by his hearty laugh. Séamus loved music and often regaled people with his version of “Danny Boy”. He was a great story teller, and was blessed with an amazing memory. In 2016, he wrote his memories of Ballinlough in 1946, and was able to include the names of each inhabitant of the town at the time. He passed on his love of reading to the younger generation and, as a young girl, Ȧine was known to help him complete the crossword by filling in random letters, and finishing it, as he did, by signing her name. Sadly, Séamus lost his fight to cancer on 7th February 2018. We were blessed to have Séamus in our lives, very proud of all he achieved, and so glad that he found such happiness and contentment in his nearly 35 year marriage to Ellen. We will all miss him dearly. The extended Healy family, July 2018.
Five Healy “children”, with their husbands and wives, happy to be home together for the wedding of Aine & Paddy Scally in Ballinlough in July 2007. Back L-R: Ellen Wolf, Séamus Healy, John Nolan, Seán Healy, Martin Healy. Front L-R: Helen Nolan, Pat Healy, Margaret Healy, Maura Joyce, Peter Joyce.
MORAN CUP & DO 2017
Happy 25th Wedding Anniversary from the Moran Cup tee-off groupies to Glen & Jeanne Adinaya, USA
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Four Katies Sake!
<<< Kathleen Moran and Mattie “MovieMaker” Moran
More ‘n More Morans
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>>> Ellen Love lovin’ the Do… the smile says it all
>>> Clan Matriarchs! Breda Maguire & Patsy Burke
Moran Cup 2017 Results: Senior Winner: Padraic Moran, Ballindine
Junior Moran Cup Competitors – Back (L-R): Jack O’Neill, Finn O’Neill, Jason Reinhardt, JJ Glynn. Front (L-R): Austin Bradley, Leon Giblin, Daniel Fagan, Harry Fagan.
Junior Winner: Leon Giblin, Maynooth
Coming soon!!! To a Moran Do near you… Pat & Ellen >> Mary Ellen & John McLoughlin >> Marianne & Ray Wynne >> Mary Anne & Barry Cronin >> Molly & Pete Greco (pictured) >> Samuel Cronin Greco (born 16/5/2018)
2017 champ and his playing partners… Tom Anderson, Padraic Moran, Ian Moran, Tim Moroney
Pat & Ellen >> Kit & Martin Healy >> Seán & Patricia >> Dominick & Sinéad >> Roisín Healy (born 20/5/2018)
Pat & Ellen >> Kit & Martin Healy >> Helen (pictured) & John Nolan >> Eleanor & Phil Sheridan >> Mia Sheridan (born 4/8/2017)