The late Mary Nea will be remembered for her kindness
The passing of the Mary Nea, of Sunnyside, Lynn, Mullingar, on February 9 last, means the loss of a woman who made an enormous contribution to the business and social life of Mullingar, but also of a principled person who was committed to her family, loyal to her friends, and who was a bedrock of the community.
Miss Nea’s passing occurred just two days after her 101st birthday.
Supremely bright, a brilliant organiser and meticulous in all tasks she took on, Miss Nea will be remembered chiefly for her long years of service to the public at the front desk of this newspaper, the Westmeath Examiner, and her involvement with the Mullingar Agricultural Show, for which she served for almost 40 years as show secretary, going on eventually to become president of the show committee.
The eldest of seven daughters, Mary was born at Sunnyside on February 7, 1924 to Peter Nea, a stonemason, and his wife Anne (née Cleary), a farmer’s daughter from Wooddown, The Downs.
Possessed of a sharp intellect, Miss Nea was especially good with figures, and also excelled at Irish and English. She learned typing and shorthand, and at 18 years of age, obtained a position with the Westmeath Examiner as a bookkeeper, quickly making her mark, and over time, going on to become responsible for the accounts, wages and general running of the Examiner.
One of her roles, when she started, was to read the Irish Independent cover to cover to the proprietor and editor of the Westmeath Examiner, the former Irish Parliamentary Party MP, the late John P Hayden.
She was a key figure, and one of the best-known faces of the Westmeath Examiner up to her retirement, in February 1989 – 47 years after she had joined the firm.
Miss Nea spent three decades as secretary of Mullingar Agricultural Show, taking up that role in 1960. During her tenure, the Westmeath Examiner served as a de facto office for the event, and entry forms were either sent to Mary’s home, or delivered to the Examiner offices for her attention.
On Mary’s shoulders fell, largely, responsibility for organising the show catalogue, for assembling the programme, which contained the list of entrants for each class; and the mammoth task of recording the winners and distributing the prizes and trophies.
That was, of course, a mere fraction of her responsibilities, and she was a key figure in all aspects of the organisation of the event.
In March 1997, she became president of the show committee.
In 2014 – at the age of 90 – Mary presented the Mary Nea Perpetual Cup to the Mullingar Agricultural Show, to be awarded as the prize annually for the Best Young Stockperson.
A keen card player, Mary loved 25s and whist, and was a regular for many years at the weekly cards game at Gainstown.
She also loved dancing, and was a GAA fanatic, particularly enjoying hurling. Her faith was important to her, and for years after her retirement, she attended the daily 10am Mass at Mullingar Cathedral.
On a personal level, Miss Nea was a kind and generous person, with a good sense of humour; she was one of those of whom it can truly be stated that “she was a lady”.
In latter years, Miss Nea resided at Cluain Lir Care Centre in Mullingar, but up to that, Sunnyside remained her home.
Predeceased by her parents and by her sisters Ita, Sheila, Dettie and Josie, Mary will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her sisters Evelyn Gavin and Roe Lynch; her brother-in-law, Paddy Gavin, her many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
Miss Nea’s remains reposed at Shaw’s Funeral Home, Bishopsgate Street, Mullingar on Monday last, February 10, prior to removal to the Cathedral of Christ the King, where on Tuesday morning, her requiem Mass was celebrated by Fr Norman Allred. Miss Nea’s remains were interred at Ballyglass Cemetery.
Photo at top of page:
Mary Nea was secretary of Mullingar Show for just over 40 years. In fact there are many who would say that for much of that time that “she was the show” due to her total commitment to all areas of the activities of the show world. She worked with the Westmeath Examiner in their front office in Dominick Street, where she again became the face of the Examiner for contributors and readers of the paper. In the later years of her life in the Examiner, she was one of the directors of the group. Photo from Mullingar Time Goes By by Matt Nolan
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