Paddy ‘had a long and full life blessed with good health’
ONE OF Ireland’s centenarians, Paddy Linnie, has been remembered as “having a long and full life, blessed with great energy and happiness” following his death.
Walkinstown resident Paddy Linnie died on Wednesday, April 19, following a short illness after staggeringly reaching his 100th birthday.
A funeral mass was held for Paddy in the Church of Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary in Walkinstown, and followed by cremation at Newlands Cross Crematorium on Tuesday.
Mourners lined the aisle of the Walkinstown church at the end of the funeral mass, as loved ones carried Paddy’s coffin to the hearse.
Speaking at the funeral, Paddy’s eldest son spoke glowingly about his father’s life.
“Dad has had a long and full life, blessed with good health, great energy and happiness,” Michael, who is the eldest of seven children to the late Paddy and Eileen, said.
“People have described him as amazing, a great character full of life – a legend in his own lifetime – but to his family his was just Grandad who we loved very much, will sadly miss, but never forget.”
Reaching 100 was a major milestone, and Paddy had gone on somewhat of a victory lap in recent months to celebrate, even going back to where it all began.
At the beginning of April, Paddy brought his seven children back to Newry, Co Down, where he was born and reared, to visit his first school, first home and have a nice dinner.
It was at that dinner that Paddy started to feel unwell, and he later died surrounded by his loving family in St James’s Hospital.
Paddy’s father served in the Irish Civil War under Michael Collins.
With the second World War raging in Europe, his father feared that he would be conscripted into the British Army, and sent him to Dublin with a suitcase and concertina accordion in 1940.
Paddy had a letter in his suitcase for the commanding officer in Cathal Brugha Barracks in Rathmines and met one of the loves of his life, Eileen Doyle, while on leave.
The young couple got married in 1944 and they were happily married for 50 years, having seven children, 17 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren and a great-great granddaughter.
Following the conclusion of the war, Paddy left the Defence Forces, joining the engineering branch of the Department of Post and Telegraphs, where he worked up until his retirement in 1983.
“On leaving the army Dad formed a dance band called the Alvaree with a few of his musician friends from the army,” Michael said.
“They went on to form the Caledonian showband and later the Limelighters cabaret group. So, it was P and T by day and the band by night for many years.
“After being happily married for over fifty years, Mum sadly died in 1994.
“Dad then moved from their house in Walkinstown Green to the nearby apartments in Ballymount square where he continued to live on his own, looking after himself, supported by his team right up to his recent illness.”
In January, Paddy spent a few weeks basking in the Tenerife sun with his good friend Clare in anticipation of his 100th birthday on February 12.
Recently, Paddy captured the imagination of the nation when he appeared on the Late Late Show.
MILESTONE: Paddy Linnie celebrating his 100th birthday in February
The same year that he got married, 1944, Paddy also developed a love affair with Shamrock Rovers, and nearly religiously cycled to Milltown to watch them play.
The last time that he watched the Hoops play live in person was when he went to see his grandson Aaron Tuite in the green and white, in Dallymount.
With the Milltown days coming to an end, and Rovers homeless between 1987 and 2009, Paddy grew tired of the ground sharing and moving around.
However, last July, Paddy got the VIP treatment at Tallaght Stadium as he went to watch Rovers live for the first time in 38-years as they played in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers.
“He was one of my best friends,” Paddy’s grandson Aaron tells The Echo.
“I can say that at 56 years of age, I’m a granda myself, that I always felt that joy of being in my own granda’s company.
“That joy you feel when you’re a little boy sitting on your granda’s lap, looking up at him in awe, I always felt that joy, long after I would have been sitting on his lap.
“He was my hero, I could talk to him about everything.
“I remember sitting down with him, we were in a pub on Amien Street and we had a proper chat about relationships over a pint, man to man, it was such a great thing to be able to do that as grandfather and grandson.
“Paddy was astonishing, I never grew tired of his company and friendship.”
Paddy is survived by his children Michael, Teresa, Rory, Rosaleen, Martyn, Leo and Katherine, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great granddaughter.
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