RIP: Death of ‘fiercely loyal and obliging’ Seamus Collumb leaves ‘immense void’ in Mullinalaghta

The parish of Mullinalaghta and surrounding area was plunged into a sense of deep and profound grief last Thursday morning as word spread of the death of Séamus Collumb, Larkfield, who passed away peacefully in the presence of his family at St James’s Hospital, Dublin, following an illness of only a few months. 

Although it was known the prognosis was not good when Séaimín was suddenly diagnosed just before Christmas, he bore his affliction through the last few months with his characteristic good humour and optimism and had remained in contact with his many friends at home and abroad through phone calls and text messages throughout his treatment, keeping up with developments at home and swapping old stories from the good days before his hospitalisation. 

Séamus was born on May 14, 1969 and was the second child and eldest son of Kathleen and Jimmy Collumb of Larkfield. He went to school in Cloonagh National School and Granard Vocational School (now Ardscoil Phádraig). 

He always had a great interest in sport and was a member of an All-Ireland winning rugby team in secondary school, where his build made him a natural fit for the role of prop-forward and he was renowned for his stamina and workrate on the field, bearing all challenges and knocks without complaint. 

He was also a member of the very first Northern Gaels team to take the field in a 9-a-side game in Colmcille in 1984 and was a member of the Mullinalaghta panel that captured the Intermediate Championship in 1990. 

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Séamus began work with An Post as a postman in 1995, serving first the Granard area and then Mullahoran in more recent years. He was an excellent colleague to all, being always among the first to arrive in the morning and sorting out letters both for himself and for others and always helpful and considerate to his colleagues, who provided a guard of honour at his removal. 

His great love and interest in other people served him well in the job, visiting the houses on his routes and exchanging news and having the craic with everyone. He was particularly considerate towards those of his customers who lived on their own, often running messages for them and helping out in other ways, and they greatly appreciated his help, with some of us joking that he was the best-fed postman in the country, and there was a tremendous sense of loss in both Granard and Mullahoran at the news of his passing.

Séaimín had a great love for farming and he always made sure that his stock were well looked after and he enjoyed the great co-operation that he got from and gave to his neighbours David Donohoe, the McGivneys and Peter and Johnny Hand. He had a great consideration for all animals and took great care of Sally the dog who was bequeathed to him by the late Rose Kelly.

Another great interest of Séaimín’s was politics and he followed in the family tradition by being a fiercely loyal member of the Fine Gael party down through the years and the party provided a guard of honour at his removal on Saturday. 

But above all else, Séaimín’s great devotion was the fortunes of the Mullinalaghta men’s and ladies’ football clubs, where he was a dedicated volunteer, mentor, selector, and committee member down through the years. 

Séaimín would travel anywhere for matches to support both club and county teams, both far and near, often acting as unofficial transport for club members both young and old and making sure that his passengers would be well-fed and well looked after on their journeys whether to Longford or to Mullinalaghta matches. He was a fixture at training sessions and on the sideline at matches, sometimes acting as waterboy or kit-man and often as a highly impartial linesman in The Laurels where his style of adjudication was always greatly appreciated by the home supporters. 

Séaimín took great pleasure in the recent success of both clubs and their fortunes were a frequent topic of conversation on his rounds. The pinnacle of their success was, of course, the Leinster final victory in Tullamore in December 2018 and it was only fitting that Séaimín was a key part of the Mullinalaghta backroom team on that day of triumph. 

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The club repaid that devotion to Séaimín, providing guards of honour at both the removal on Saturday and the funeral on Sunday, and past and present players of the club paid him the tremendous honour of physically carrying his coffin on his final journey from St Columba’s Church to the cemetery on Sunday. 

Séaimín’s engaging character and obliging nature meant that he had friends in all spheres of life not only in the local area but across the county and wider region and this was demonstrated by the large attendances at his removal and funeral and the large crowd who walked down to the cemetery for his committal. 

Séaimín was predeceased by his parents Jimmy and Kathleen, and is survived by his sisters Brigid, Mary, and Joanie, his brothers Owenie and Mel, his brothers-in-law Richard and Stephen, Mel's partner Bonnie, his aunt Sr Mercedes Collumb, his uncle Tom Fox, his nephews Cahir and Conor, his nieces Kate and Holly, his work colleagues in An Post, his neighbours, his fellow club members of Mullinalaghta St Columba’s and Mullinalaghta Ladies’ and a large circle of friends to whom we extend our deepest condolences. 

Séaimín’s removal took place on Saturday, March 7 from Dublin to St Columba’s Church, with his Funeral Mass being celebrated on Sunday by Fr Simon Cadam, assisted by Fr Michael Bannon PP and Fr Peter Beglan, after which his funeral cortege travelled to Mullinalaghta cemetery where he was interred alongside his beloved parents. 

Séaimín was always an absolute gentleman who would do anything for anyone and was a pleasure to know, and his loss, like that of his neighbour and club colleague DP Finnegan last year, leaves an immense void in the fabric of Mullinalaghta, and he will be long remembered and honoured in the half-parish. 

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Cara dílis dúinn go léir ab ea thú, a Shéaimín, agus ar dheis Dé go raibh d’anam uasal agus caoin.