RIP: Late Johnny Higgins was proud of his Longford roots and a regular visitor to Granard

It's with much sadness and regret that we record the death of John Higgins of Cherrymount, Co Waterford and formerly of Ballymore, Granard, Co Longford, which occurred on Thursday, July 24.

He was predeceased by his wife Philomena in 2021 and also by his sons in law, Cllr Gary Wyse in 2013 and Paul Hallihan and his parents William and Mary Higgins and brother Paddy (Ballymore), sisters Margaret Hutchinson, Mollie McCabe and Betty Clarke.

John or Johnny as he was known to family and friends was born in 1934 and at the early age of sixteen he left Ballymore and like many of his age headed for London where he worked hard, met his future wife Philomena and together they reared their family of three children, Gabriel, Michelle and Antonina.

It was always Johnny's ambition to return to Ireland and in the early eighties the family achieved this when they bought The Cosy Thatch pub in Kilmeaden, Co Waterford and they ran it very successfully for the next ten years after which Johnny and Philomena decided to retire and take life easy.

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Johnny loved keeping in touch with his native Ballymore and was a regular visitor to Granard and many will have fond memories of the Higgins girls dancing at family functions and celebrations over the years.

Johnny was a very interesting man to chat to and while not in a boastful way he was very proud of his family's achievements.

He loved reading the Longford Leader and his sister Rosie Fagan sent him his copy every week which was read from cover to cover and if there was something he needed checking out he would call Rosie or some family member who might not have even read it yet.

Johnny's Funeral Mass was celebrated on Monday, July 28 in The Sacred Heart Church, The Folly, Waterford and he was laid to rest in St Mary's cemetery Ballygunner and we extend our sincere sympathy to his son Gabriel, daughters Michelle and Antonina, twelve grandchildren including the present Metropolitan District Mayor Cllr Adam Wyse and four great grandchildren and to his sisters Rosie Fagan (Killeen), Bridie Carr (UK) and Kitty Tierney (New York), daughter-in-law Caroline, and to his many nephews and nieces. May he rest in peace.

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