Picture: Valerie O’Sullivan
Killarney was shrouded in a pall of sadness at the weekend when news of the death of Eoin Ó Carra filtered through.
Never before was the term a gentleman and a scholar more appropriate to describe the retired schoolteacher who spent most of his working life on the staff of St Brendan’s College.
A native of Galway City – and very proud of that fact – he took up his teaching post in The Sem in the mid 1960s and remained there until his retirement in 2006 by which time he had held the position as deputy principal for several years.
A skilled science teacher and a great physics scholar, Eoin had a quirky teaching style and a mischievous sense of humour that made his classes much more interesting and engaging for the thousands of boys he taught over the years.
A wonderful multi-linguist, he was fluent in several languages, including Spanish, but his first passion was for the native Irish language and he did so much to promote and foster a love of Gaeilge whenever possible.
A lover of traditional music, Eoin was hugely engaged with the activities of Comhaltas Ceolteori Éireann and spearheaded many music and Irish-language events over the years, including An tOireachtas festival which was hosted in Killarney.
He was also a respected competition adjudicator at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.
Blessed with a wonderful sense of humour, he was a very talented and enthusiastic photographer and he captured many striking images on his travels. He set up a dark room in St Brendan’s College to develop black and white photographs taken by his students and himself.
Eoin passed away, peacefully and after a short illness, in University Hospital Kerry on Saturday.
He is survived by his wife Olivia, who is a gifted artist, his five daughters, Deirdre, Muireann, Niamh, Aoife and Maebh, their husbands and partner, John, Steven, Kevin, JJ and Dan and his grandchildren Niamh, Siobhán, Colm, Leah, Dónal, Séamus, Caoimhe, Sorcha and Donncha.
He is further mourned by his surviving sisters and brothers, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews and his extended family and friends.
Reposing at O’Shea’s Funeral Home, Killarney on this Tuesday from 4.30pm to 6.30pm will be followed by removal to St Mary’s Cathedral.
Requiem Mass will be held at 10,30am on Wednesday followed by burial afterwards in Killarney Burial Ground.
The Requiem Mass will be livestreamed on https://www.churchservices.tv/killarneycathedral.
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