Buckley, Liam
February 11, 2011It was with great sadness that the family of Liam Buckley, Sandhill lodge, Sandhill Road, Ballybunion learnt of his death on Sunday 24th October, aged 78. He was born on the 18th of August 1932, one of six children Jack, Paddy, Maureen, Susan (Currently residing in England and now the only surviving member of the family), Della and Liam.
He was born at the family home in Beale. Overlooking the cliffs of Dooneen and Beale Hill and received his early primary education in Kilconly National School.
Under the tutelage of his father, William, a building contractor, he learned the skills of the building industry. In the spring of 1957 he married Martha Buckley(nee carrigy). Their house became home to their thirteen children, Willie Joe, Eileen, Tom(RIP), Mike, Trisha, Padraig (RIP), Susan, Paul, Noel, Sean, Ciaran(RIP), Eoin and Fergal.
Due to the depression of the late 1950's and early '60's, Liam had to leave Ireland to go to England to find work to support his family. His love for his family and Ireland brought him home shortly afterwards where he established his won contracting business based around Ballybunion and Listowel. After a number of years of being self-employed he then became a foreman with Danny Hannon building contractors in Listowel. He was responsible for overseeing the construction of many primary schools in the Kerry/Limerick area. To this day, McKenna's shop on the corner of Market Street and William Street in Listowel is symbolic of his craftsmanship in the construction industry. He continued his innovative approach to construction when he joined the company of GBH.
From there he moved on to join Kerry County Council and then on to the OPW as a clerk of works, working in the Demesne in Killarney National Park. Liam worked here for many years under the leadership of Jim Cosgrove.
On Mr Cosgrove retirement Liam became the district inspector for the Kerry and West Cork area. As Fr Hegarty mentioned in his homily there is not a school, garda station or public building that does not bear the mark of his expertise. He was renowned for high standards.
Anyone who knew him in the industry had great respect for his knowledge, dedication, integrity and his direct approach. These buildings are a testimony to his expertise. None that knew him in the industry could argue him being given the title of 'tradesman extraordinaire'.
From Liam's earliest years, he loved all things Irish. On a summer's evening, seven days a week as a young lad, Liam could be found dancing the night away in the Pavilion, the Ballerina, the Central and the Hibernian dance halls - sometimes all on one night. Liam and Martha were highly respected as ballroom dancers all over Kerry, West Cork and Limerick and their graceful style of dancing won them many trophies and accolades.
His love of Irish music, song and dance began in Hannon's Ball-room on Beale Hill, better known to him as the Shannon Ballroom. Many the pair of shoes were worn out on that dance floor. The Ballybunion style of set dancing had been handed down through the generations and found its way around Ireland, England, America and North Canada, when Liam and Martha, Robert and Deidre Stack - better known as the Ballybunnion half set - were invited by Comhaltas tours. The passion that Liam had for Irish music was evident when he became part of a committee that set up the first branch of Comhaltas in Ballybunion, where he was an active member for many years.
Liam felt that it was important that the Ballybunnion style of dancing would be passed onto the future generations. He was totally selfless in the manner in which he organised and gave up his time voluntarily to run set dancing classes in such venues as Mickey Joe's, the Convent, Tara Rooms and Ballyloughran House and anywhere else where people wanted to learn. These classes were always run in good humour and patience. His pupils learned self discipline and many of his past pupils speak of the invaluable life skill they learnt at these classes. Liam took car loads of young dancers all over the country to many set dancing competitions. At his wake many of these dancers spoke of the many happy memories as they were packed into the Ford Cortina, taken around the country dancing and having the craic. Anyone who knew Liam well knew that there was no point in ringing or visiting Sandhill Lodge on a Sunday afternoon when the hurling and Gaelic football season was in full steam. He was passionate about the GAA. Before Liam's health started to deteriorate he could be seen on the sidelines supporting Beale club.
Liam was renowned for seeing the 'big picture' and was in many ways an integral part of the local community in Ballybunion. This was evidenced by his rekindling of the Ballybunion Fire Brigade in the early '70's which had lapsed. This was acknowledged by the guard of honour carried out by the local brigade at the funeral Mass. He was a member of the board of management of Scoil Pio Naofa and such was his commitment to his role, he was a member of the initial team who went to Dublin in order to fight for a new school for the young boys and girls of Ballybunion.
To his family, whether you knew him as husband, father, gaga or granddad, Liam was the pivot of life in Sandhill Lodge. He will always be remembered as a great storyteller, a man of high principles and a man who instilled high standards. He loved to see people come and hated to see them go. Liam leaves a large void in the lives of his nearest and dearest and he will be sorely missed.
Both he and Martha always extended a warm welcome in Sandhill Lodge. As his grandson mentioned in the eulogy, his playing words would have been "that's the job!"
Courtesy of Kerry's Eye 4/11/10 Tweet
