Former Mayor Celia had ‘a heart of gold’
By Maurice Garvey
TRIBUTES have poured in for Celia Mills (59), a former Lord Mayor of Ballyfermot, who passed away on February 19.
Celia lived with her mother Ann Cecelia Mills (93) on Ballyfermot Road, both of whom are well known for their selfless volunteer work in the community.
Ann Cecelia Mills, Cllr Vincent Jackson, the then Lord Mayor of Dublin in 2006 and Celia in her role as Lord Mayor of Ballyfermot
The pair were Ministers of the Eucharist in Assumption Church, and did trojan work to support the elderly and many other charitable causes throughout the years.
An explosion of social media posts mourning Celia’s passing, indicates the high regard people have for her in Ballyfermot.
Born with cerebral palsy in 1961, Celia had a tough start in life, according to her brother Carl Mills.
“At that time it was a very challenging condition, doctors told my mother she wouldn’t survive,” said Carl.
“In later years, the brain deteriorated and restricted movement. When she did go out, all the shops in the area bent over backwards to facilitate her, something we are extremely grateful for.”
Carl said Celia and her mother had a close bond and were affectionately known as “Batman and Robin”.
Celia Mills
“Celia was always involved in some sort of fundraising and was Lord Mayor of Ballyfermot twice, a position that was determined by how much money you raised by charity. My mother was a peace commissioner.
“Celia loved fundraising and loved meeting people. She was a caring person, and I don’t just say that because she was my sister. What she really liked doing was helping people who were really sick and near the end days. She always saw it to the end, went to many funerals and was almost like a family member to the elderly people.”
Ken Larkin, Ballyfermot Heritage Group, posted a picture of Celia, to offer condolences for someone who “gave so much of herself with her voluntary work”.
“Celia and her mother are great community people, involved in the church, helping doing fundraisers and they helped us with heritage events. I have no doubt she has entered into the gates of heaven.”
The response to Larkin’s post was staggering with hundreds of comments from people who remembered a woman with a “heart of gold”, “an icon”, a “tireless community worker” and “a beautiful girl always with a smile, she will be missed by all up and down the shops on main street.”
Sr Liz Smyth, Acting Deputy Principal St Dominic’s College said Celia was a “true community person”.
A funeral mass for Celia took place on Wednesday at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Ballyfermot.
A guard of honour formed outside the church – respectful of Covid regulations.
Former Ballyfermot priest Fr John Ennis returned to celebrate the service.
Fr Ennis established the Friendship Club for elderly people, which Celia and her mother kept going after he left the parish.
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