Community mourns Longford woman and her legendary gift of the gab

There was great sadness recently at news of the death of Maggie Killian, Lettergunnell, Ballinalee.

Whilst her official name was Maggie Killian, she was best known by her maiden name, Mallon, and despite a varied and full life, will be forever remembered from her time working at Kelly's bar and hardware store (now part of the Courthouse building) on Main Street, Longford town.

Maggie Mallon was born March 7, 1938 and was the eldest of James and Brigid’s three children. She was the eldest of three; Margaret, Nell and John. Her early education began in Gaigue NS, continued to Ballinamuck Tech and later Longford Tech.

Her career in Kelly’s of Main Street started swiftly after school. Along with her sister, Nell, they cycled the ten miles to town everyday - hail, rain or shine.

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People knew her from far and wide from her time in Kelly’s - mainly for her legendary gift of the gab! There was nothing she loved more than a chat, and she knew every person who came into Kelly’s by first name.

At the mention of Kelly’s, her sayings would start: ‘I knew him, I made funeral arrangements for his mother’ or ‘they used to come on Easter Saturday for seed’ or ‘I often gave that fella a half one’. She made life long friends on Main Street and kept up these friendships all through the years. She became a part of the Kelly family, and always referred to it as ‘our place’.

Maggie was always a sociable and outgoing person. She often talked about herself and Mary McEvoy cycling to dances in Lukie Martin’s or Batty Gray’s Halls. Politics was a big passion for Maggie also - Shannonside would be blaring as she followed elections and counts with a pen and paper, writing down tallies and comparing them to previous elections.

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She was very involved with the Joe Sheridan campaign and in later years, when Peter Kelly entered politics she was in her element! She never missed the death notices either, the obituaries played three times a day without fail and she would often greet you by saying, ‘Well, anyone dead today?’

In the swinging sixties, she met her future husband, Johnnie Killian. They were married in 1970 and a more devoted husband she couldn’t have wished for.

He drove her everywhere, whether it was to get the Longford Leader or a postage stamp. Invariably though, she would find someone for a chat on the way, and leave him waiting for her in the car for hours. Sunday nights were always for Foxe’s in Tooman or The Glenview.

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Maggie was a wonderful wife and their life together was enriched by each other. But her greatest calling was as mother to their two children, Ollie and Geraldine (Caherly).

At her funeral mass, her son, Ollie, delivered a wonderful eulogy and said, “The dinner was always on the table, but it never came without the interrogations about all the goings on in your life.”

The arrival of her six grandchildren brought a whole new dimension to Maggie’s life and no grandchildren were ever loved as much as Shauna, Aoife, Niamh, Sean, Joe and Anna.

Maggie’s passing has left a large void in that part of the county. Her home was always a great ceilí house, for milkmen, breadmen and everyone in between. In later years, she enjoyed the ICA and it was wonderful to see her friends from the Ballinamuck ICA guild provide a guard of honour as her remains were brought to the local Church.

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The late Margaret (Maggie) Killian (nee Mallon), died peacefully in the wonderful care of the staff of Laurel Lodge Nursing Home surrounded by her family on February 7. She was predeceased by her beloved, husband, Johnnie; her brother, John, and brother-in-law, Terence Fitzpatrick.

Margaret will be forever missed and always remembered with love by her family: son, Ollie, daughter, Geraldine (Caherly), son-in-law Eugene, daughter-in-law Sinead, her adored grandchildren Shauna, Aoife, Niamh, Sean, Joe and Anna; her sister, Nell, sister-in-law, Eilish Mallon; nephews, niece and her great neighbours and wonderful friends.