Longford and Cavan saddened by sudden death of hugely popular Francie Smith

The area was shocked and saddened when news broke of the sudden death of Mr Francis Smith, Main Street, Arva which occurred at his residence on Saturday, July 1, 2023.

Francie, as he was affectionately known, was a native of Drumcarey, Corlismore and started his working life with the late Jamsie Cullen, Drumcarey and later worked for many years in Keith’s, Arva.

He decided to open his own business and traded well for a number of years but eventually closed the shop and went to work for O’Hara's Bakery, Foxford who have a depot in Granard.

Francie worked for O’Hara's for approximately 15 years until he reached retirement age. He was hugely popular with the business owners and managers in the different towns he covered and was always very conscientious in his dealings with them.

It was at a Dance in the Granada Ballroom, Granard that he first set eyes on his future wife Philomena Sheridan and after a number of years they got married and settled in Arva – they recently celebrated 53 years of happy marriage.

Dancing was a big interest all their lives and they made many great friends in various venues such as the Lavey Inn every Sunday night, Music Weekends in Bundoran etc.

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Francie had a great love of music and was a great accordion player. He was a member of the Mountain Boys Band for many years made up of a number of his friends.

He was instrumental in setting up the Boy Scouts in Arva and the Arva Marching Band along with Sgt Cathal Kelly and Alice Donnelly and they were successful for many years in various competitions and parades.

For the past number of years Francie visited the local St Mary’s National School and Tír na nÓg Preschool and played the Accordion for them during Seachtain na Gaeilge – the week around St Patrick’s day.

Apart from dancing Francie had a great love of Fishing and every Tuesday he headed off to one of the local lakes. He had a boat for years but eventually he donated it to the Arva Area Development Association and it now sits proudly at the Gowna road junction.

He was a great DIY man and painted his home every year. He was a great man to recycle items and loved making something new from something old – where we would see an item as junk Francie would see a new purpose for it.

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He was a hugely popular figure within the wider community and this was born out by the attendances at his reposing and at his funeral.

Francis was predeceased by his brothers Jimmy and Michael and is survived by his wife Philomena (Phyllis), daughters Ms Sharon Smith, Arva and Mrs Louise Nertney, Drumlish, sons Niall, Newtownforbes, Kenneth, Galway, Mark, Drumlish; brother Peter, Laytown, daughters-in-law Catherine and Antoinette, sons-in-law Richard and Eamon, his sixteen grandchildren, brothers and sisters in law, nieces, nephews, relatives and a wide circle of friends to all of whom we extend sincere sympathy.

Francis reposed at his residence on Monday, July 3 and was taken to the Church of the Sacred Heart, Arva for Requiem Mass on Tuesday, July 4 with burial afterwards in Coronea Cemetery.

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