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Irish Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- General
- Irish Daily Mirror
'She was a lady' - Ray D'Arcy battles back tears at his beloved mum's funeral
Radio and TV host Ray D'Arcy has revealed his mother Mary was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer six weeks ago. Speaking at her Funeral Mass on Wednesday, an emotional Ray fought back tears as he told mourners at St Brigid's Parish Church in Kildare Town that his mother was given 'weeks to live'. Addressing mourners, the RTE star said: 'She had some trouble over the last 18 months with her health, nothing life threatening, we thought. 'And then about six weeks ago, we got the diagnosis of an aggressive form of cancer. The doctor said, weeks then last Wednesday, they said it was going to be short days, and she didn't suffer much. 'It was funny, the staff in Naas had the measure of mammy. One of the ward nurses, Mary was her name too, actually, she said to me, 'your mother strikes me as someone who wouldn't complain.' 'She wouldn't be asking for pain relief, she said. And then Linda, another nurse, she was a palliative care nurse. She had the official name for our mother. She said, 'Your mother is an under reporter, an under reporter'. That was ma. A slight woman with a huge heart.' Ray described his mother as a 'lady' who would put every Minister for Finance to shame as she raised nine children in a house with 'very little money'. Ray D'Arcy and his wife Jenny pictured this morning at the funeral of his mother, Mary D'Arcy. (Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin) Mourners follow the hearse from the funeral home. (Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin) 'Nine children in 16 years, a lot of children, but not a lot of money. It could have broken her, you know, and probably nearly did at times, but our mother was made of strong, strong stuff. 'Her ability to manage a household budget on a meagre income would put many a Minister for Finance to shame. 'We never wanted for anything. Actually, I really don't know how she did it. I'm in awe of how she got through it. Imagine at one stage, nine of us in that little council cottage, Joan, a baby, Joe doing his Leaving Cert. 'I remember actually when mammy was pregnant with Joan, our father arrived home from the pub one night. When he went into the kitchen, mam was in tears over the sink, doing the washing up, and she complained to him that none of us were pulling our weight. 'So he returned to the sitting room. We were all in there, maybe watching The Old Grey Whistle Test or something, and he proceeded to read us the riot act. 'Your mother needs your help,' he said, 'It's not my fault your mother's pregnant,' he said. 'And if you didn't laugh, you'd cry. We all turned out reasonably okay.' Ray told how his mother was 'kind, tolerant and forgiving' who was a devout Catholic that was 'unsettled' when the church scandals emerged in recent years. 'Our mother flourished as we became independent of her…our mother was a calming presence everywhere she went. She was active all over the place. I don't know how she did it. Mary D'Arcy's remains arrive at the church. (Image: Ray D'Arcy and other family members carry his mother's remains. (Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin) 'She was a member of the Community Council. She was on school management boards. She was an integral part of the local history group. She led the choir here in St Brigid's church for years. 'She was a devout Catholic. The scandals really unsettled my mother, but she had a great relationship with her God. We joked, actually, over the last few days, that she's been fast tracked to heaven, the full VIP treatment, complimentary chocolates on arrival. 'Our mother, slight of stature, but big of heart was a truly good person. She was kind, she was tolerant, she was forgiving, she was a great listener, and she gave sage advice. 'She had a great memory. She never forgot a birthday of her nine children, 16 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. 'The arrival in the post of the package or card with her beautifully neat handwriting was a constant in all our lives, as was her beautiful, warm smile…a smile that was full of mother's love.' Ray also recalled the time his mother interviewed Pogues singer Shane MacGowan at her kitchen table live on the radio. 'The pioneer in conversation with the Pogues lead singer, very much not a pioneer, that shouldn't have worked at all. 'And for the first five minutes or so, it was awkward and stopped, starting. I'm sure the listeners probably felt uncomfortable. 'But then our mother, she was a huge fan of Shane McGowan. She appreciated his genius, and she'd read his biography, and then she said to him, after about five minutes, and of course, Shane, you were in the Nipple Erectors. Shane laughed that raspy laugh, and that was that they got on famously a mutual admiration society of sorts.' He said Mary 'travelled a lot in later life, she loved a good sitcom, always a good musical as well. She loved the movies, and up until a couple of years ago, she went up to Dublin every Wednesday to meet Angela or Alison to go to the cinema.' 'She was vibrant, very much young at heart. She had a beautiful energy. She was a lady. She was intelligent and insightful. She was a wonderful mother, and we were very lucky to have her. He added that just before she died last Friday morning, his sister Anne told her how much her family loved her. 'And I imagine if my mother could have talked on Friday morning, she would have said, I love you all too, equally and unconditionally. 'Our mother, Mary Darcy, was a truly amazing person, and we missed her terribly.' Symbols to the altar included hymnal 'representing mammy's devotion to and love of hymns in general', a copy of the Jesuit magazine 'The Messenger'. 'Our mother literally spread the word of God for 36 years, as she delivered The Messenger every month for 36 years.' A book of crosswords was also brought to the altar. Father Adrian Carbery told the congregation Mary was a 'lady'. He said: 'We have to say that Mary was a remarkable woman. She had a huge impact on the whole community. She lived a long life, and she lived it to the full. 'She really made a profound impact on Kildare through her involvement in so many activities around the place and her commitment to the Historical Society, her love for the drama, her weekly distributing newsletters from the parish, The Messenger magazine for years and years and years, which I think was a legacy from Sister Annunziata, she continued it on right to the very end. 'She had a great love for people,' he added. Mary was buried after her Funeral Mass in St. Conleth's Cemetery in Kildare Town. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Extra.ie
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Inside Ray D'Arcy's family life with wife Jenny and two kids
Ray D'Arcy has been a staple piece of RTE Radio and a welcome sound in Irish homes across the country for many years. Ray is one of Ireland's best-known and most popular radio hosts and broadcasts his lively show on RTE every weekday from 3pm to 4.30pm with an always-entertaining mix of chat, comedy and music alongside a wide range of guests. Recently, the 2FM DJ sadly lost his mother, Mary D'Arcy, after she peacefully passed away in Naas Hospital on Friday, July 18. Ray D'Arcy with his mother Mary and Dustin the Turkey celebrating 10 years of the Ray D'Arcy Show on Today FM in 2010. Pic: James Horan/Collins Photos A post on says that Mary was predeceased by her husband Ray (Snr) and 'sadly missed by her loving children Joe, Jackie, Ray, Hughie, Anne, Paul, Marianne, Claire and Joan'. While we all know the sound of his voice from his decades of service in the entertainment industry, here's a look at Ray's life away from the studio. Ray was born into a family of nine in Kildare in 1964. His father worked as a non-commission officer. Entertainment was his goal from the start, with Ray kicking-off his long DJ career in 1979 at the age of 15. He then attended Trinity College in Dublin to study psychology and graduated in 1985. Ray met his wife, Jenny Kelly, back in 2005 when they began working together on his show at Today FM and the couple kept their relationship private at first. Jenny was working at the show before Ray joined with the presenter and explained that she was there to help transition the programme from one host to another. Ray and Jenny tied the knot in 2013. Pic: Ray has previously shared that they had a platonic relationship at first, developing a romance only after becoming close friends. The RTE host revealed their relationship for the first time live on-air during a chat with Miriam O'Callaghan on her show Saturday Night with Miriam. Ray and Jenny got married in August 2013 at Tankardstown House in Slane, Co Meath. The couple have gone on to have two children, a daughter and a son. Their daughter Kate was born in November 2006, making her 18 years old today. Meanwhile, their son Tom, who is now 13, was born in June 2012. Ray has been a long-standing icon of Irish media. Pic: Kieran Harnett Ray has shared that one of the key reasons for his happy home life is that he and Jenny are first and foremost 'best friends'. He also added that the couple both gave up drinking and it brought 'calm' into their lives. Recently, Kate underwent her Leaving Cert and Ray commented on how they were supporting her through what can be a very stressful time for young students. He told the RTE Guide: 'I was talking to a guy recently and he described having somebody in Leaving Cert as playing that winter Olympic sport (curling), where you push the thing down and then everybody paves the way in front of it. 'It's like that and we're happy to do that. We're there for whatever she wants. 'I still have nightmares about my Leaving Cert all these years later. Now, I don't share that with Kate.' He also discussed what it is like for a parent to see their child enter their teenage years, after Tom turned 13. Ray added: 'Kate has been a teenager for five years, so she went off and did her own thing. And we're going to lose Tom soon now because he's hitting 13 next month. 'You can just see it – I asked him for a hug the other day on the couch and he wasn't up for it. The same evening his mother asked for a hug but she got one.' Recently, Ray lost his mother Mary after she peacefully passed away in Kildare. Ray D'Arcy with his mother Mary in 2010. Pic: James Horan/Collins Photos Speaking several years ago to the Independent, Ray spoke of how his relationship with his mother had changed over the years. He shared: 'I didn't hug my mum until six or seven years ago. 'But I hug her all the time now and tell her that I love her. I'd never have done that years ago but as you get older, especially when you have your own children, you see the world differently. 'Also when you have children, you want to keep the generations connected and you feel more of a pull home. 'You want your children to be part of this family and to know the mother that you knew.' Ray began working for RTE Raidió na Gaeltachta after graduating from Trinity College in 1985. He then joined RTE television as a presenter on Jo Maxi in 1988 and stayed at the station for 13 years. Ray D'Arcy on Blackboard Jungle many years ago. Pic: RTE During his time there he took on many different roles from working on The Den from 1990 to 1998 and presenting You're A Star. In the late 1990's, Ray moved to Today FM but eventually returned to the national broadcaster in 2014 to present The Ray D'Arcy Show. It was later announced that Jenny would join him at RTE to produce the new show, which began airing every weekday from 3pm to 4.30pm.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Not wanting to be outdone by the Beckhams, I decided we should mark our anniversary
I was having an existential crisis. It happens. Possibly a little bit more regularly now as I clock up the years. And it's often triggered by life's milestones and challenges: children's birthdays, school summer holidays and the end of another academic year ; a child finishing school altogether; a Leaving Cert holiday and the tortured helplessness felt at home while himself is living his best life – and even remembering to wear factor 50 sunscreen, after all; watching the price of chocolate increase; the inability to find a pair of decent-fitting jeans in this post-skinny jeans era. Who am I? What am I doing with my life? How the hell did I get here? These are life's big questions that I ask of myself more frequently than I care to admit. READ MORE Anyway, the latest thing to trigger me was my 25th wedding anniversary. How can that possibly have come around already? I still feel 25, never mind 25 years married, though my right hip begs to differ. But silver wedding anniversaries? Well they're for old people, surely. And I refuse to get old. And how can it really be 25 years anyway, when I can still clearly smell the orange and lemons of Sorrento. We've never really been ones for marking wedding anniversaries. We were already parents by the time the first anniversary happened, so that trumped the – at the time, seemingly self-indulgent – idea of celebrations. After all, there was sleep deprivation to endure. And so beyond, on our 20th anniversary, mentioning in The Irish Times that he forgot our first one – because, you know, a wife with an axe to grind and a newspaper column is not for faint-hearted husbands – we've never really made a thing of it. [ Jen Hogan: It's our 20th wedding anniversary. I wonder will he remember Opens in new window ] But this time, I decided I wanted to make a thing of it. After all, the Beckhams, who share a wedding anniversary with us, never miss an opportunity to get the wedding album out on social media. So, not wanting to be outdone by someone who used to play for Manchester United, I decided we should buy some purple suits and head back to Rome and show the children where we got married, for the occasion. Alas, they appeared to be all out of matching purple suits that day I went to Dundrum Shopping Centre. And, it turned out we couldn't afford to go to Rome either, on account of having a ridiculous number of children. So we settled on Galway, which is more or less the same thing anyway, if you squint a little. I am not averse to using a bit of emotional blackmail when I need to. Judge me all you like, I'll probably just use it in a future column. And so, taking no chances in the quest to get all my children together to celebrate this momentous occasion, I lead with a 'more than anything I can possibly think of, for our 25th wedding anniversary, your dad and I would love to get a night away with the nine of us. All of us together again. Are you free next weekend?' text to the one who had the cheek to grow up, move out and leave me with all these boys. She said she was. Discussions ensued, between the siblings, over which child would bunk in with which child, largely determined by who was deemed to fart the most (or the least, depending on your perspective). The van was packed and the Hogans were off to Galway. All nine of us. Together again. Order was restored to my galaxy. [ The summer juggle: How to work while the kids are off Opens in new window ] We were staying at the Connacht, a family-friendly hotel whose claims of which are put to the test by my supersized brood (it passes, with flying colours). A swim was first on the agenda. 'You're coming too, aren't you Mum?,' the youngest asked, giving me no out. Ten minutes after everyone else had got into the pool, I joined them. Because that's how I roll. A woman smiled at me, and I smiled back, thinking to myself how friendly the natives were. Then she gave a gentle wave as I walked past. And I waved back, thinking again 'super friendly people'. 'You didn't know it was me, did you?,' the friendly woman said laughing, as the familiar dread of meeting someone out of context and not recognising them began to set in. I was going to have to come clean. Turns out it was just the curse of shortsightedness, and a world viewed stubbornly in soft focus. To the point I hadn't recognised my own daughter. The eyesight, at least, is consistent with 25 years ago. We swam, ate, played and laughed, and I even forgot this anniversary made me sound middle-aged. Because we were all together again, and everything made sense.
Extra.ie
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Dáithí Ó Sé reveals he's never read his father's famous Leaving Cert-studied book
Dáithí Ó Sé has never read his late father's Leaving Cert-studied autobiography. Musician and author Maidhc Dainín Ó Sé is known to generations of school leavers for his humorous memoir, A Thig Ná Tit Orm, which became part of the curriculum 'about a year after' Ó Sé Junior finished school. Dáithí Ó Sé. Pic: Cathal Burke / 'There was an extract all right that we had to do, but it came in as a kind of replacement for Peig the year after I did my Leaving Cert, so thankfully I didn't have to sit through it,' Ó Sé told The light-hearted tone of Maidhc Dainín's recollections – in contrast to Peig – was 'the way my father lived his life', the presenter continued. 'He always enjoyed himself, and I think that came across in the book. But it was kind of important that it was seen as a fella writing in Irish having a bit of craic as well, as opposed to other serious stuff that's there. Dáithí Ó Sé. Pic: Brian McEvoy 'So that's why a lot of people remember it fondly, thankfully.' Asked if he'd read it by now, the Today host laughed: 'Not at all. Not at all. 'Sure, we'd have to listen to the stories at home, so Jesus Christ almighty, the last thing I'd have wanted to do was read it.'
Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Rose of Tralee star says people 'shocked' after discovering she's an electrician
A Rose of Tralee contestant has said people are 'shocked' when they discover she is an electrician. Katelyn Cummins, 21, will represent Laois at this year's Rose of Tralee festival, which takes place on August 18 and 19. The 21-year-old is a second-year apprentice electrician from Ballyouskill, working with Alpha Drives in Portlaoise, while also helping her dad and her siblings on their dairy farm. Opening up about taking a trade as her career path, she said: 'Yes, they would be shocked in a good way. People are very enthusiastic in a good way about it. They're very supportive and ask me if I know any more female electricians. 'I love doing it and I am so happy that there are more women getting into it now. It's so empowering for women to be able to see that there are other women doing it. I think that pushes other women to do that I am delighted about.' Although she is unsure about mentioning it on stage to hosts Dáithí Ó Sé and Kathryn Thomas, she said she wants to highlight to people not to be afraid taking a different career path as a woman. 'I'm not sure I'll mention it on stage, but I do want to highlight it as part of my journey, like women shouldn't be afraid to take difficult paths or take different routes that is not traditional. It is becoming more common.' Laois Rose 20254, Katelyn Cummins She said it was her dad who introduced her to being an electrician, adding: 'Growing up on a dairy farm, I'm so used to working with my hands… the hard work was always built into me from such a young age. School was never really for me. I didn't enjoy it that much. The Leaving Cert didn't stress me out. After I did work experience in TY, I knew I wanted to do something different. 'My dad dropped me in with the local electrician for the week and I absolutely loved it.' Opening up about her decision to enter the Kerry festival, she said she was looking forward to making new friends. She said: 'I originally took part in the Laois selection because I didn't have that many friends in Laois and I wanted to make more friends and have a better social life in Laois with lots of new girls. 'With my job, I just work with a lot of lads all the time so it would be nice to meet a lot of new girls. 'After school, girls drift apart, and it was just wanting to make more friends in the area.' She said her parents were 'absolutely delighted' when they heard she wanted to take part of he Rose of Tralee. Laois Rose 2025, Kaitlyn Cummins She added: 'My parents are over the absolute Moon. They are so happy and proud. It's something I've always dreamed of as a little girl. I've never missed it. 'To be crowned the Laois Rose in April was amazing. They were so proud.' Kateyln added that last year's Rose of Tralee winner Keeley O'Grady encouraged her to enter the competition. She said: 'I'm 20 and I was approached by the coordinator back two years ago when I was working part-time in a hotel. She was going around scouting for girls and she asked. 'But I had just turned 18 and I felt I was too young for it. I was doing my Leaving Cert year as well. Then when I saw Keeley O'Grady was 21 and crowned the Rose of Tralee it just showed that anything is possible, and you didn't have to have a certain background or be a certain age. 'That's probably what pushed me. I think it's so empowering for girls this year because there was such a wide age group.' Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
