People and places 5th August 2015 by Michael Commins
The Annual Urlaur Pattern was held in the small east Mayo village that shares a border with nearby Roscommon yesterday (Monday). Once again, the small village was the focus of a lot of activity as the locals maintained a tradition stretching back through time.
In the news pages of last week’s issue, we featured a story about the Roscommon connection with Urlaur and some memories from over the years. Martin Walshe from nearby Erritt, on the Roscommon side, spoke about his memories of Urlaur and the closeness of the communities.
Due to space restrictions, some parts of Martin’s reminiscences were omitted, including some mentions for those who were central to his acquaintances with Urlaur. This week, we feature the memories omitted from last week’s news article. Rest assured, people of Urlaur, Martin did not forget ye!
“I got to know a lot of people in Urlaur through the music and the Kilmovee All Rounders and the late Michael McDermott. People like Frank Keane and Paddy Moran and all their families, and Michael Regan and the late Jim Meehan from Kilmovee as well, and also Seamus and Mary Waldron, Tullyganny.
“I would know the Hunts well too, Dominick and Michael and their sisters, as they used to come back and cut their turf in the bog in Derrynea which is beside our village. The late Tommy Coyne from Urlaur who died a few weeks ago, used to cut turf there too. We were very friendly with both families.
“I knew the late Gerald Nyland and his wife Kitty and family very well too, a brother-in-law of Tommy Coyne, a lovely gentleman and we were very great down through the years. He was very much involved in everything in Urlaur. So is Seamus Gallagher down the road in Aughadeffin. They were a lovely family. There’s also Seamus and Mary Waldron, Tullyganny, and Michael Collins and family. I knew the Kenny family very well in Post Office, now sadly closed.
“The late Jimmy Horan would have relations in our county over in Cloonmullin near Loughglynn. He was a mighty man for the Pattern. Tommy Kenny and Marie Sharkey from beside the Abbey are great historians and have a wealth of knowledge on the Abbey and its history.
“I recall a story I heard years ago about a huge thunderstorm coming across the lake when the Pattern Mass was being celebrated and the priest was supposed to have used his powers and the storm stayed away and did not arrive until after the Mass and the sports were well over.
“Michael McDermott was a very close friend of mine and I am delighted that the people of Urlaur are keeping his memory alive by having a perpetual trophy every year in his memory. Michael was a huge loss to Urlaur and Kilmovee and the wider community,” says Martin, while reeling in the years.