Wexford man Tom Carroll was a devoted family man who always stayed true to his Blackwater roots
Tom, the eldest son of the late Denis and Mary Carroll nee Corrigan, was born in June, 1940. A Blackwater man and more importantly a proud Ballyconnigar man; Tom never strayed far from his roots or his love and understanding of nature.
He attended Blackwater National School before embarking on a life of farming on the family farm. The sandy, dry land and small fields were a feature of the landscape of Ballyconnigar back then, allowing Tom to nurture his skill of ploughing and working the land. In his youth he enjoyed attending dances across the county and was a member of Macra na Feirme.
In 1978 Tom married Rita Byrne of Crosshue, and the arrival of their four children meant they were inseparable while leading a busy and devoted family life together. Despite the hard work, there was always time for fun and family day's out. Tom also loved joking and playing tricks – dressing up for Hallowe'en, April Fool's Day jokes and in latter years Easter Egg Hunts for his grandchildren and their friends.
Tom's love of the land and farming was evident throughout his life from milking cows twice daily, knowing their names and individual personalities to trips to the mart becoming a whole day out. His understanding of nature was ahead of his time from the germination of early potatoes to never cutting down a tree without planting at least one more.
His lifelong knowledge and respect for the sea, tides and moon phases was never far from his mind, from time spent herring fishing and sea-prizing to understanding that all living creatures come into this world on a rising tide and leave on an ebbing tide. One of his favourite past-times was driving down to the strand to look out at the sea.
Tom was a devoted member of St. Brigid's GAA Club Blackwater from his playing days right up to more recently being on the sideline supporting teams of all ages across all codes. From watching countless training sessions at the local pitch to trips to Croke Park supporting our county teams through good and bad days. A post-match analysis was essential - either to celebrate the successes or debate the questionable calls.
Tom was an active member of Blackwater Ploughing Match Committee, Blackwater Game Protection Association and in more recent years Blackwater Vintage Club. These all related back to his lifelong love of nature and the land.
Tom loved socializing and meeting people; he had a word for all ages and was never first to leave an event. He was well known by all visitors to Blackwater and was renowned for selling early spuds to the bathers (from either Enniscorthy or Dublin)!
Family was very close to Tom's heart, and this was evident in the strong relationship with his brother and five sisters. He took pride in being head of the family and always kept in touch with cousins and the wider family circle.
His sociable and welcoming nature meant that there was a steady flow of visitors to the family home over the last few weeks of his life. These visits by family members, neighbours and friends were thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated. Tom's family takes great comfort and pride in the fact that he spent his final days at home, as he had wished. They would like to express their gratitude to all who assisted in this being possible.
Tom was laid to rest in Blackwater Cemetery on Saturday April 19, following his Funeral Service in St. Brigid's Church. He was interred with his parents Denis and Mary who had passed away in the early 1980's. A beautiful rendition of Horses and Plough was sung by Senan Lillis, Matty Murphy and John Furlong during the burial; a fitting tribute to Tom's years working the land.
Tom is mourned by his beloved wife Rita, his daughters Catherine (Vallely), Marion (Murphy) and Oonagh (Rowe) and son Denis. He is also sadly missed by his brother Mike, sisters Margaret (Hawes), Catherine (Howard), Anne (McLoughlin), Mary (Gillespie) and Stasia (Bevan); adored grandchildren Mikey, Tom, Luke, Aidan, Conor, Michael, Tomás, Mary Kate, Orlaith, Finn, Harry; sons in law Sean, Paul and Eddie, daughter in law Siobhán; sisters in law Carmel and the late Annie Walsh, brothers in law Roy, John, Austin, Charlie and Dave; nieces, nephews and extended family, neighbours and friends.
Tom's Month's Mind Mass will be celebrated in St. Brigid's Church, Blackwater at 7pm on Saturday May 17. The Mass may also be viewed online on www.churchcamlive.ie/blackwater-parish
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Irish Examiner
26-05-2025
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First World War soldier's warning of 'a deuce of a bust-up' discovered in Tipperary home
A chilling prediction about one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War, anticipating 'a deuce of a bust-up in a short time', has been discovered in a letter unearthed during a house clear-out in Tipperary. Denis Kenny, from Thurles, was astonished to read the "bust-up" warning that features in one of two letters written by his late granduncle Jim Maher, and which appears to reference plans for the Battle of Passchendaele. The line made it through despite strict censorship of correspondence at the time, designed to prevent soldiers from disclosing any information about military activities. 'I really don't know how it made it past the defenders, so it's very interesting from a historical point of view,' Denis told the Irish Examiner. The prediction was contained in what turned out to be the final letter received from Jim before he lost his life in Belgium on August 11, 1917. 'One of the quotes in the letter to his sister Josephine, which dates back to April 6, 1917, is 'look out for squalls. There's going to be a deuce of a bust up,'' Dennis said. 'He had to be referring to the battle ahead.' Officially known as the Third Battle of Ypres, Passchendaele came to epitomise the horrors of trench warfare, claiming more than 500,000 lives. The battle took place on the western front between July and November 1917, where soldiers were fighting for control of the ridges located south and east of the Belgian city of Ypres. Denis Kenny holds a picture of his granduncle Jim Maher at his home near Thurles. The striking family resemblance is evident in the century-old image. Picture: Chani Anderson Denis, who found two letters from his granduncle Jim while clearing out his late mother's house, said that some of the details contained within are heartbreaking. In a letter to Josephine, Jim tells her not to send an undershirt because 'we don't wear them'. 'You have to read between the lines,' Denis said. Soldiers back then were encouraged not to have too many layers of material on in battle in case they made access to a wound difficult "My guess is that this was the case for my granduncle.' Instead, Jim asked his sister to send him some 'shaving sticks, soap, and a shirt'. 'I'm sorry for not responding to your letter sooner, but I did not have any time as we were up making advanced gun preliminaries. Consequently, I had no opportunity for letter writing.' "We are presently billeted in a large town a few miles behind the line. Our pay, combined with the high prices of goods, does not allow us to do much shopping on our own,' the letter read. 'A glass of coffee, one slice of bread, and dripping costs seven French francs. One small piece of soap, half of ordinary size at home, is eight francs. 10 francs for two weeks' pay will not go towards procuring us a decent spread.' In the letter, Jim also talks about his hopes for 'a speedy termination to the war". Denis reads a miniature Christmas card sent home by his granduncle in 1915 while serving in France. Picture: Chani Anderson Another letter was addressed to his "aunt Kate". In it, he enquires about her health, and adds: 'Do not do too much work and be careful of yourself. I suppose it's useless telling you, as I suppose you could not live if you were not working about the sows and cattle. How is father? I'm sure he's killed." Only one line seems to allude to the war. Please God, the worst is over Denis said he had learned a lot about his granduncle's life over the years. 'Jim voluntarily signed up to join the armed forces at a local recruitment office, and was among those sent to their death in mainland Europe," he said. "He was 28 when he joined the army. I think he was looking for a sense of adventure. The regiment he signed up for was the royal field artillery. 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He had already lost his son to violence, even if the killing was accidental. It must have been heartbreaking for him. He had been really worried about losing another son "I think he had hoped that Jim might stay home and maybe even take over the business, which was a local butchers.' Denis said the lives of officers and soldiers were worlds apart. 'There was a very obvious divide between the officers and soldiers. This was highlighted by the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who were killed like my granduncle Jim. The officers had more opportunities. They were university educated and went to private schools," he added. The letters and war medals were discovered in a box during the clear-out. Picture Chani Anderson He said family members remained close to Jim despite their republican ties. 'Jim's sister Josephine was very active in Cumann na mBan, which was the women's organisation of the republican movement. She was a very senior figure in that. "Her husband Charles was a key figure in the IRB [Irish Republican Brotherhood]. Meanwhile, Jim was fighting for the British in France or Belgium. It's difficult to believe that his sister was fighting the same army he was in, albeit not this particular regiment. "You can imagine the interplay that was going on in the family, and yet they were very close," Denis said.
Irish Independent
12-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Wexford man Tom Carroll was a devoted family man who always stayed true to his Blackwater roots
Tom, the eldest son of the late Denis and Mary Carroll nee Corrigan, was born in June, 1940. A Blackwater man and more importantly a proud Ballyconnigar man; Tom never strayed far from his roots or his love and understanding of nature. He attended Blackwater National School before embarking on a life of farming on the family farm. The sandy, dry land and small fields were a feature of the landscape of Ballyconnigar back then, allowing Tom to nurture his skill of ploughing and working the land. In his youth he enjoyed attending dances across the county and was a member of Macra na Feirme. In 1978 Tom married Rita Byrne of Crosshue, and the arrival of their four children meant they were inseparable while leading a busy and devoted family life together. Despite the hard work, there was always time for fun and family day's out. Tom also loved joking and playing tricks – dressing up for Hallowe'en, April Fool's Day jokes and in latter years Easter Egg Hunts for his grandchildren and their friends. Tom's love of the land and farming was evident throughout his life from milking cows twice daily, knowing their names and individual personalities to trips to the mart becoming a whole day out. His understanding of nature was ahead of his time from the germination of early potatoes to never cutting down a tree without planting at least one more. His lifelong knowledge and respect for the sea, tides and moon phases was never far from his mind, from time spent herring fishing and sea-prizing to understanding that all living creatures come into this world on a rising tide and leave on an ebbing tide. One of his favourite past-times was driving down to the strand to look out at the sea. Tom was a devoted member of St. Brigid's GAA Club Blackwater from his playing days right up to more recently being on the sideline supporting teams of all ages across all codes. From watching countless training sessions at the local pitch to trips to Croke Park supporting our county teams through good and bad days. A post-match analysis was essential - either to celebrate the successes or debate the questionable calls. Tom was an active member of Blackwater Ploughing Match Committee, Blackwater Game Protection Association and in more recent years Blackwater Vintage Club. These all related back to his lifelong love of nature and the land. Tom loved socializing and meeting people; he had a word for all ages and was never first to leave an event. He was well known by all visitors to Blackwater and was renowned for selling early spuds to the bathers (from either Enniscorthy or Dublin)! Family was very close to Tom's heart, and this was evident in the strong relationship with his brother and five sisters. He took pride in being head of the family and always kept in touch with cousins and the wider family circle. His sociable and welcoming nature meant that there was a steady flow of visitors to the family home over the last few weeks of his life. These visits by family members, neighbours and friends were thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated. Tom's family takes great comfort and pride in the fact that he spent his final days at home, as he had wished. They would like to express their gratitude to all who assisted in this being possible. Tom was laid to rest in Blackwater Cemetery on Saturday April 19, following his Funeral Service in St. Brigid's Church. He was interred with his parents Denis and Mary who had passed away in the early 1980's. A beautiful rendition of Horses and Plough was sung by Senan Lillis, Matty Murphy and John Furlong during the burial; a fitting tribute to Tom's years working the land. Tom is mourned by his beloved wife Rita, his daughters Catherine (Vallely), Marion (Murphy) and Oonagh (Rowe) and son Denis. He is also sadly missed by his brother Mike, sisters Margaret (Hawes), Catherine (Howard), Anne (McLoughlin), Mary (Gillespie) and Stasia (Bevan); adored grandchildren Mikey, Tom, Luke, Aidan, Conor, Michael, Tomás, Mary Kate, Orlaith, Finn, Harry; sons in law Sean, Paul and Eddie, daughter in law Siobhán; sisters in law Carmel and the late Annie Walsh, brothers in law Roy, John, Austin, Charlie and Dave; nieces, nephews and extended family, neighbours and friends. Tom's Month's Mind Mass will be celebrated in St. Brigid's Church, Blackwater at 7pm on Saturday May 17. The Mass may also be viewed online on
Irish Independent
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