Obituary: Watson Mills, historian and forward thinker

This month saw the passing of one of oldest, most cherished and most remarkable citizens of Ballynacargy, Watson Mills of Main Street. Watson, aged 96, was an avid historian with a wealth of knowledge and stories, a lover of poetry, and a forward thinker.

In accordance with his wishes, his remains reposed at the Church of the Nativity, Ballynacargy, on Thursday, from where his removal took place on Friday to All Saints Church, Mullingar, for service and burial afterwards in his beloved Kilbixy cemetery.

Rev Canon Alastair Graham, Rector of All Saints, and Very Rev John Nally, former parish priest of Ballynacargy and Sonna, both paid tribute to Watson as a man of deep faith with deep ecumenical roots who yearned for inclusion and abhorred exclusion.

Watson was a member of the select vestry of Kilbixy Church for more than 70 years and a plaque to mark that milestone was unveiled there in 2016. Watson’s funeral service would have been held in St Bigseach’s, Kilbixy, but with the current Covid restrictions, numbers would have been restricted to just a dozen or fewer, Rev Graham explained.

Watson was born in 1925 in a nursing home in Mount Street, Dublin, the elder brother of John. The brothers grew up in Ballynacargy, where their father ran a drapery shop. As a young man, Watson turned his back on a bright academic career and took over the running of the shop, expanding the business to include hardware and other household items.

Watson Mills was successful in business, but also dedicated himself to the church and the community. One of his most lasting contributions was his work on the restoration of the Royal Canal, which he started with other local people in 1974. The canal was dry and had become an eyesore and a dump, and moves were afoot to close it. Under the guidance of Watson, local people took on an amazing restoration project and the canal now runs freely through the village.

He was also a founding member of the Tidy Towns committee which has transformed the village into a picturesque pastoral oasis and he was a founding member of the village tennis club in 1948.

Under his dedicated and sensitive baton, the historic church of Kilbixy has been restored and it is now one of the most historic sites in the country. It is one of only two churches that had a leper hospital in its grounds and the remains of the hospital are still visible today. Watson was eager to preserve and promote the history of the leper hospital, a project that is ongoing.

In 1980, Watson discovered a carved slab believed to be more than 1,000 years old at Kilbixy graveyard during a community clean-up. The slab is believed to date from the 10th or 11th century and it is now installed in the church at Kilbixy.

Watson’s dream, however, was to see funds provided to explore a large souterrain, first discovered at Kilbixy in 1793. He felt that this souterrain in particular was worthy of examination because of its size, big enough to accommodate a couple of hundred people if they were attacked.

In more recent years, Watson, along with Betty Murtagh and Eleanor Murtagh, was responsible for setting up the annual poetry evening at Kilbixy Church, an event that has grown in momentum year on year. Watson could always be relied upon to deliver a recital of one of the poems by his favourite, the poet laureate, Sir John Betjeman, and Sir John’s third ever poem, ‘Sir John Piers’, which was first printed by the Westmeath Examiner in 1937, was a particular favourite of his.

At Watson’s funeral Service, Rev Graham spoke of his deep faith, his humanity, loyalty, wisdom and love of nature.

Fr Nally said Watson Mills was a man who enriched our area and our lives and reminded us that our past interprets our present and that our faith is what binds us. He said Watson was hugely ecumenically minded and that he recognised the power of community being united in prayer.

Arthur Watson Mills died on December 14, peacefully, at the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar. He was predeceased by his brother, John, and his passing is deeply regretted by his nieces and nephews, Deirdre, Maeve, Timothy, Jonathan, Fiona, Kenneth and Colin, grandnieces and grandnephews, cousins, carers Robert and Margaret Maguire, extended family, neighbours and many friends.