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Sunday World
3 days ago
- Sunday World
Irish American community pays tribute to mum-of-three killed in murder-suicide
Arlene Connolly-O'Neill died at the hands of her husband Sean O'Neill on the morning of Wednesday, October 16. The Irish American mother of three who was killed by her husband in a murder-suicide has been remembered in a 'living tribute" at the school where she taught. Arlene Connolly-O'Neill died at the hands of her husband Sean O'Neill on the morning of Wednesday, October 16. There has been an outpouring of grief among the devastated Irish American community in Yonkers, New York, in the aftermath. Now, a tree has planted in her memory as "a beautiful nod to her strong Irish heritage' at the Yonkers elementary school where she had taught for more than two decades. Irish Central is reporting that the Eastchester Police Department shared photos from the unveiling of the tribute at Anne Hutchinson Elementary School on June 3. Arlene Connolly-O'Neill News in 90 Seconds - 7th June According to the police department's social media, teachers and students from the school, as well as two officers, came together to honor Connolly-O'Neill's memory by planting a tree in front of the school as a 'lasting symbol of her spirit and the many lives she touched'. "Students lovingly decorated rocks with green hearts, a beautiful nod to her strong Irish heritage and the warmth she shared with our school community,' the post reads. "May this tree grow strong and proud as Arlene continues to do in our hearts." Arlene, whose parents were from Co Monaghan and Co Galway, was a popular figure throughout the tight-knit Irish American community in Yonkers, where she lived her entire life. On October 16, police said that 47-year-old Arlene was shot multiple times by her 54-year-old husband Sean O'Neill, a retired NYPD Police Officer, before he turned the weapon on himself in their home in Yonkers. On October 23, a joint funeral was held for Arlene and Sean in Yonkers. In a heart wrenching speech at the end of the Mass, Arlene's brother Mark Connolly told the congregation that "no one's really sure why things turned out the way they did." He said: "We want everyone here to know that our family will not be defined by the events of that day but by the love we continue to have for one another." The couple is survived by their three sons, aged 15, 13, and 11 who are now in the care of their extended family. Following the tragedy a 'Go Green for Arlene' campaign launched by the Ladies Guild at the Annunciation Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Yonkers saw homes and businesses throughout the neighbourhood hang green bows and ribbons in her memory. The initiative was backed by the City of Yonkers, as well as numerous local businesses and community groups. In a further show of support, people on social media also changed their profile pictures to an image of a green heart with 'Arlene' written under it, Irish Central reports. An obituary shared by Flynn Memorial Home in Yonkers, described Arlene as "a proud Irish-American" who "cherished her friends and family." While she loved music and New York sports, "above all, her most-adored past time was going on nonstop adventures with her three boys, who were the loves of her life. The boys were her entire universe and she would have moved mountains for them." The obituary reads: "Arlene was a larger than life human being whose beautiful eyes and bright smile could light up a room. Her energy was infectious. 'She is gone too soon and will be dearly missed by so many. The world now has a void that can never be filled. Our hearts are heavy with her loss." According to the local Daily Voice publication, "In the months since her passing, O'Neill's family, friends, and the Eastchester school community have gathered repeatedly to grieve, honor, and celebrate her life." It added: "The tree planting is the latest in a series of tributes that reflect how deeply she was loved."
Sunday World
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Shane MacGowan's sister and widow delighted by Bob Dylan's cover of Pogues' classic
Fans have shared clips of the performance online with one describing it as "the most beautiful thing I've ever heard' Shane MacGowan's sister Siobhan and his widow Victoria Mary Clark have both hailed Bob Dylan's cover version of The Pogues' classic 'A Rainy Night in Soho' that he performed live this week. Dylan took to the stage during the opening night of Willie Nelson's Outlaw Music Festival Tour, which the American rocker was co-headlining. The iconic singer and song-writer sat down at the piano at the close of his gig at the Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre in Phoenix, Arizona, on Tuesday, IrishCentral reports. It was the first time he performed the song, which was originally written by MacGowan, who died in November 2023, live. Fans have shared clips of the performance online – with one describing it as "the most beautiful thing I've ever heard." Bob Dylan News in 90 Seconds - May 16th A delighted Siobhan posted on social media that it would have meant the world to her brother. "When I was a kid I listened to the constant sound of @bobdylan playing in Shane's room," Siobhan wrote. Victoria Mary Clark said her husband "spent hours and hours and hours listening to Dylan and watching footage of him and he was very grateful for the mutual respect." The US star had invited The Pogues to open for him during his North American tour in the autumn of 1989 but MacGowan infamously collapsed at London's Heathrow Airport, leaving the rest of the band to fly out to California without him. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Rolling Stone reported afterwards that MacGowan missed all the Dylan shows but was forgiven when Dylan last played in Dublin in November 2022 when MacGowan was special guest at the concert at the 3Arena. During the gig, Dylan only addressed the crowd once, to send a greeting to "one of our favourite artists', Hot Press reported. "We hope he makes another record soon," Dylan said, adding: "'Fairytale Of New York' is close to all of our hearts and we listen to it every Christmas..." MacGowan joined Dylan and his entourage at the InterContinental in Dublin after the gig as, according to friend and manager Joey Cashman: "Bob was very keen to meet up with Shane when he was in Dublin and his people were on a fair bit trying to set it up. "There's a lot of respect there and Dylan was the one who booked the Pogues to open for him back in the day, even though Shane didn't actually make it,' he told the Irish Sun at the time. "I have a theory that Dylan didn't realise Shane never made it out to the States because the band were so good without him. "That tour was crazy and I became good friends with Dylan's son Jesse along the way. "Dylan had his people get in contact and Shane was reluctant because he wasn't feeling well but then he decided he wanted to go, he couldn't miss out on the chance. "We went to the hotel and let reception know that Shane had arrived. Bob was downstairs within ten minutes. "So we had a meal in his hotel on Sunday. It turned into a late one." Last year, the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, hosted the "They Gave The Walls A Talking" exhibition, which was on loan from EPIC: The Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin. Dedicated to the legacy of The Pogues and MacGowan, it was the first time an exhibit dedicated to someone other than Dylan was featured.
