Pictures: Eamonn Keogh
THE men he worked alongside on the streets of Killarney again walked beside the late Neilie Griffin as he made his final journey through the town he loved so well.
The popular father-of-four from Pinewood, who passed away after an illness, was a very familiar face in the town where he was a key member of the outdoor staff of Killarney Municipal District Council.
His colleagues staged a guard of honour as his funeral procession would its way through the streets on his final journey from the Church of the Resurrection to the new Killarney Burial Ground.
The other side of the hearse was flanked by officers and members of St Paul’s Basketball Club to which Neilie had dedicated so much of his life and time. He was the team manager with the senior men’s national league teams that played under the Kerry Spring and Gleneagle Lakers banner and he travelled all over the country with the team and was a popular and respected figure with players and officials.
Club PRO Eamonn Keogh said: “He was always reliable and obliging. No job was ever too big or small for Neilie, who was also very instrumental in spearheading various fundraising initiatives for the club”.
Neilie’s interest in basketball never waned and he was delighted to see the return of national league basketball to Killarney two years ago after an absence of nearly a decade. Despite battling an unfortunate illness, he was a regular at Scott’s Lakers home games at Killarney Sports Centre and always had a kind and friendly word for everyone.
The late Neilie Griffin is survived by his wife Mary, son John and daughters Diane, Siobhán and Aislinn and extended family.
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