25th July 2006.
It is with regret that we announce the sudden death of Michael Barrett earlier this month. Michael and Connie were very popular members of Jomac Productions and giving of their time willingly to any fund raising events. Our sympathies go to Connie, Susan and all his family and friends. A special Jomac Mass for Michael will be held in Nazareth House, Malahide Road, on Tuesday 25th July at 7.00pm. ....Jomac Productions.
Michael Barrett
Memorial Mass
Nazareth House, Malahide Road
Tuesday 25th July 2006
A Tribute by Robert MacLoughlin.
“I wish to thank you all for coming here this evening. In particular, we are grateful to the community for making the chapel available to us, Rev. Fr. John Galvin for celebrating the mass, our server Carl, our singer John Maguire – musicians Des and Noreen Leech, Denis Rahill at the organ, readers Mike Stevens, Muriel Casey and Mr. Liam Ryan who gave me great help in organising the event.
Michael Barrett was born and reared in Loughglynn, a beautiful place in County Roscommon where, from all accounts he had a very happy childhood. No doubt paying occasional visits to local orchards and cycling along beautiful country roads where the speed limits didn’t exist, and mobile phones had still to be invented. In Dublin we knocked at old ladies doors and ran away!
In his early adult life Michael worked in London, where he met Connie who was later to become his wife. Upon returning to Ireland, he became involved in politics serving for many years as a Councillor on Dublin Corporation (now Dublin City Council). On several occasions he was the Deputy Lord Mayor of his adopted city and Chairman of the then Eastern Health Board. Later, he was elected to Dáil Eireann (the Irish Parliament), where he served with distinction as a Deputy for Dublin North – West.
One achievement I know of, which gave him great satisfaction, was when as Chairman of the Eastern Health Board he was responsible for the building of the beautiful oratory at St. Brigid’s Home, Crooksling (a place well known to Jomac).
He had many interests outside politics – the Glasnevin Lions Club, Irish music, set dancing and “Jomac” of which he was a member for about 20 years. Together with his wife Connie, he was a regular performer and sang here in this home many times. His great song was “The lovely rose of Clare”, and I also recall Mike Stevens persuading him and Connie to sing the old Bing Crosby – Grace Kelly classic “ True Love” as a duet. How appropriate that was.
The late Jimmy Percy would often say to me when giving his appraisement of a potential Jomac member “He (or she), is (or isn’t) ‘Jomac’ material”. Michael and Connie certainly passed Jimmy’s critical ‘litmus test’.
We will always remember Michael’s child-like enthusiasm for everything he did, and, in many ways he never lost the ‘boy’ in him as those of us who were in Disneyland, California can testify.
This has been a sad year for our group having lost Jimmy, Michael and only last week Charlie Hewson, one of our early members. Charlie was Bono’s uncle.
I can never recall Michael speaking unkindly of anyone, and only about a month ago when I asked him had he been present at the funeral of a famous politician who had just died, his reply was – “sure I was, he wasn’t the worst and he wasn’t the best but, which of us cas honestly say that we are the best?”
Shakespeare wrote the immortal lines “All the world’s a stage and each man in his time plays many parts – they have their exists and their entrances” – Michael Barrett played many parts, and has made his final exit, and a new entrance.
We will miss him very much and we extend our deepest sympathy to Connie, Susan, Denis and all the family."
May he rest in peace.
Robert MacLoughlin.
Jomac Productions
