Mayo village mourns one of its finest
Chrissie Galvin was a much-loved and valued member of the Belcarra community.
The tight-knit community of Lisaniskea, Belcarra and the wider village said goodbye to one of its most upstanding members last week following the passing of Chrissie Galvin (nee Walsh).
A wonderful neighbour and foremost, a wonderful friend, Chrissie was the heart and soul of Lisaniskea.
We received the sad news of her passing, after a battle with illness, last Thursday evening and it leaves us without one of the most treasured members of the community.
I have fond memories of Chrissie calling to visit our house while I was growing up. Always beaming with positivity, always with a story to tell, often about her visits to relatives in America, always with such eagerness and enthusiasm to highlight and celebrate whatever stage of life that you would be at, at that particular time.
Chrissie always had sight of the roadmap of one’s life, she really cared about how you were getting on, which is an incredible trait for a person to have.
At different stages of life, you could expect to hear things like: “You must be in sixth class now, you won’t feel until you’re going to secondary school,” “Isn’t it great to come home from college at the weekend?”, and “Are ye all set for the wedding?”
Chrissie treasured the values of the Ireland of old, she was a vestige of a time in this country when you truly got to know your neighbours. That era is sadly becoming bygone but Chrissie fiercely upheld it throughout her life. Chrissie had friends and confidants in every household along our way, some of whom have sadly passed away in the preceding years and all of whom she counted among her closest friends.
She took a lot of pride in our community and the sight of her sweeping the roads or planting flowers outside her fabulously kept home was a common one in Lisaniskea. Passing by on the tractor or the car, you would always get a pleasant wave and the invitation to stop for a chat was an open one.
Chrissie spent many years working in Mayo Unversity Hospital in Castlebar, operating the switchboard. A phone call to a hospital is rarely a pleasant thing to have to do but how fortunate so many were to have a pleasant voice such as Chrissie’s to greet them and point them in the right direction, always with courtesy and decency.
The respect and reverence held towards Chrissie in Lisaniskea was evident last Friday afternoon as members of every household stood outside her home to say goodbye as she made her final journey through the village she loved so dearly.
Her wake was exceptionally well-attended on Friday evening at Belcarra Community Centre, again highlighting the love people from all around had for Chrissie. Requiem Mass was held on Saturday morning with burial afterwards at Elmhall Cemetery.
My sincere condolences go out to her children Corina, Paul, Claire and Shane, her beloved grandchildren, her sister Paula, her many cousins and extended family members and friends.
May she rest in peace.
