Connolly, Tony
March 06, 2012Aged 80 - he would have celebrated his 81st birthday on Easter Sunday - Tony will be remembered as an adopted Carlovian who was on first name terms with every employee at the Athy Road factory.
It was the persona of the man to engage with people, and while he occupied positions of major responsibility within the Irish sugar industry, his common touch marked Tony Connolly out from the crowd.
A native of Oldtown, north County Dublin, he was educated at Oldtown and Ballyboughal National Schools, where his parents PJ and Ellen (nee O'Hara) were both teachers.
He attended St Joseph's College, Garbally Park, Ballinasloe, following a family tradition, as his brother and father had both attended the Co Galway college. Garbally had a rugby ethos but somehow Tony managed - in addition to playing rugby - to line out for the school in a Munster Colleges hurling competition!
A high academic achiever, Tony went on to study science at UCD, gaining a first-class honours degree. A talented footballer who played midfield, Tony lined out with UCD and among his Trinity College opponents on one occasion was Dubs stars of the 1950s Kevin Heffernan, later to become Dublin's most successful football manager.
Tony was a member of the Wild Geese GFC in north Dublin and he won a Leinster junior football medal with his county in the 1950s.
Following graduation, Tony went to work with chemical giants ICI as an engineer in Warrington, Lancashire. While living in the north of England, he lined out for St Helens Rugby Union team, playing at No 8.
At that time, he met Gertrude Morris, a native of the St Helens area. They fell in love, married and went on to have four children and enjoyed more than 50 years of wedded happiness. While living and working in England, Tony lost a kneecap when, having fallen from a wall, he tumbled 50 feet into a quarry but, luckily, lived to tell the tale.
He returned to Ireland in 1961 and joined the Irish Sugar Company in Carlow. Tony became factory manager in Carlow, succeeding the late Con Moloney in 1974, to whom Tony had worked as assistant manager from 1972. Then came his final promotion as overall operation director of the four sugar factories. He retired in 1995.
Although brought up in a GAA tradition, Tony, along with wife Gertrude, became Co Carlow Football Club's most dedicated followers. They travelled the country in support of the black and amber of Carlow rugby club and on two occasions, were jointly named supporters of the year by the Oak Park club.
In the halcyon days of the early-to mid-noughties, when the Carlow team was competing in Division 1 of the All-Ireland League (AIL) and winning back-to-back Leinster Senior Cups, Tony and Gertrude were there to cheer them on. They were part of the first bus trip to travel to a Carlow away AIL game in Belfast - it was the start of a sporting travelogue that continued for years.
In a Nationalist article from February 2005 regarding the Connolly's dedication to Carlow rugby club, it was noted that Tony and Gertrude had attended 96 of the club's 100 AIL games at that time.
The fortunes of Dublin footballers remained a sporting priority for Tony. He attended countless games involving his native county down the years, including last September's All-Ireland final, in which his beloved Dublin finally succeeded in overcoming Kerry. Tony would parse and analyse every game in the greatest detail in the post mortem - whether the Dubs won or lost.
He was part of a small, informal 'Dublin Supporters Club' in Carlow, involving fellow county men Tony Quinn and Bobby Fitzhenry, who travelled to Dublin games, along with 'outsiders' Paddy McDermott, Tom Deering and Willie Purcell and many others.
Tony enjoyed nothing better than a drink with his great friend, the late Jim Kenny, in The Irishmans. In latter years, he enjoyed a Sunday morning tipple with Bobby Fitzhenry in O'Loughlin's of Dublin Street.
Tony took a keen interest in the progress of his grandsons with the Dalkey-based Cuala GAA Club and would attend juvenile matches to monitor the sporting progress of the next Connolly generation.
In his younger days, Tony threaded the boards as an amateur dramatic enthusiast. He took part in a production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado at Garbally Park in 1947, playing the part of Ko Ko, the Lord High Executioner of Titipu. In Carlow, Tony joined the Little Theatre Society. In the 1969-70 season, he played SB O'Donnell in Brian Freil's Philadelphia, Here I Come and also played Mr Webb in a production of Thornton Wilder's three-act play Our Town.
A keen angler, Tony fished the River Barrow, primarily for eel and trout, enjoying the contentment imbued by the solitude of the river bank. One of his favourite fishing spots was at Milford.
A man who carried his academic achievements lightly, Tony was a fluent German speaker and on the occasion of his daughter's wedding reception in Kilkea Castle Hotel to Italian Diego Goffi, had sufficient knowledge of the continental language to speak to his son-in-law's side of the family for a full 15 minutes!
Tony was deeply devoted to his family. Wife Gertrude was at his side constantly, while his children each described Tony Connolly as not just their father but also their best friend. That was the type of family friendship and loyalty engendered by Tony through force of his amenable personality.
His passing followed a brief illness.
He was waked at Healy's Funeral Home, Pollerton Castle, before his remains were removed to The Cathedral of the Assumption on Monday morning, 20 February, where they were received by Fr John Cummins, Adm, Carlow. Members of Co Carlow Football Club, led by president Harry Sothern, formed a guard of honour from Healey's and carried the coffin into the cathedral. Tony's instantly recognisable sailor's cap was placed on the coffin.
A number of symbols relating to Tony's life were brought to the altar and were introduced by his daughter Helen. They included a 2011 Dublin football jersey and an All-Ireland final match programme; a Cuala No 6 jersey, the number of worn by his grandson Sean; and a book of poetry - Tony was of a lover of poetry and an avid reader.
The Prayers of the Faithful were read by his daughter Geraldine and his grandchildren Jack Macey, Katie Macey and Sean Connolly.
Readings at Mass were by his daughter Aideen Connolly, and Tony's close friend Joe Brennan.
The offertory gifts were presented by grandchildren Ben Macey and Thomas Connolly.
At the end of Mass, Stephen Connolly, Tony's son, in a eulogy, paid a fitting tribute to the life of his father.
The coffin was again flanked by members of Carlow rugby club on Tony's final journey. He was laid to rest in St Mary's Cemetery, a couple of drop kicks from the Oak Park grounds, where he and Gertrude enjoyed so many happy afternoons. Fr Cummins recited the final prayers at the graveside.
Tony is survived by his wife, Gertrude, children Stephen (Dublin), Geraldine Connolly (Dublin), Helen Macey (Dublin) and Aideen Goffi (Italy), brother Patrick Connolly (Dublin), grandchildren Sean, Thomas, Asya, Jack, Katie, Ben, Luigi and Liam, sons-in-law Chris and Diego, daughter-in-law Natasha, by other relatives and many friends.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dilís.
- Courtesy of Carlow Nationalist, 6th March 2012 Tweet
