Published: Wednesday, 7th July, 2010 4:10pm

The late Philomena Nolan

Philomena Nolan, who died on Monday June 28, was a woman who was full of life, and who, despite battling illness for the last three years of her life, had a great enthusiasm for living, and enjoyed greatly her relationship with her family, including her 25 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Nolan's death occurred, as she had wished, in the company of her family at her home in Donore, Multyfarnham.

A native of Tuam, she moved with husband John, who is from Mayo, to Multyfarnham, in 1966, the couple having become owners of a Land Commission farm.

Together, they farmed the land, and raised their family, and Mrs. Nolan devoted herself to her family.

Very fond of music, she enjoyed listening to Irish traditional music - but her tastes didn't stop there, and in fact, she greatly enjoyed modern music as well, and in latter years, attended concerts by Westlife and Rod Stewart, as well as Daniel O'Donnell, displaying her great joie de vivre. Earlier this year, with her daughters and daughters-in-law, she headed to Dublin for a weekend, a weekend that will be treasured by all in their memory, given that it came just months before her death.

Mrs. Nolan was a religious woman, and took great comfort in her faith during the trials of her life, which included the loss of her daughter, Mary, 21 years ago; and her son, Michael, 6 years ago, and Michael's daughter just last November.

She is survived by her husband John; her sons Kevin (Multyfarnham), Sean (Mullingar), Denis (Multyfarnham); her daughters Anne Lynch (Clonhugh), Margaret Hope (Ballinalack), Geraldine Leavy (Lacken) and Angela McEvoy (Ballinalack); as well as by her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, brothers, sisters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. The remains were brought from Gilsenan's Funeral Home to St. Nicholas's Church, Multyfarnham, where the remains were greeted by Fr. Gerry Boyle.

The funeral Mass was concelebrated by Fr. Boyle and from the Franciscan Friary, Fr. Herman, and the remains were laid to rest in the adjoining cemetery.