Aileen McCann
1941 - 2020

Requiem Mass in St. Colman's Clare on Friday 14th August 2020

Celebrant: Canon Gerald Powell P.P.

(Thanks to Aileen's son Brian for this lovely tribute)

Aileen was born in 1941 to William and Catherine Green, along with two sisters, May and Kathleen, although Kathleen regrettably passed away at just 18 months old.  These early years were spent living happily in Castlecaldwell, Co. Fermanagh, a place she loved dearly and always cherished.  School was the Convent, in Ballyshannon.

In 1960 Aileen started her training for nursing in Lurgan (the year her father also sadly passed away), then moving to Belfast for further experience, and eventually becoming sister in the Royal Victoria Hospital.  This period coincided with the start of the troubles, and Aileen dealt first-hand with many of the casualties that resulted from those early horrific incidents.

In 1972 she married Noel and moved to Craigavon, where she took up the role of sister in the casualty department of the hospital that had just been opened to serve the new city.  Aileen loved setting up a new casualty department from scratch, it was an exciting time.  Her nursing career was something of immense pride and enjoyment for her, doing what she knew best, providing relief and compassion to anyone that needed it in her own humble way.

All her natural caring attributes carried over to her own family, with two children of her own coming along, Brenda and Brian.  If anyone ever encountered an injury or needed help, be it family, friends or neighbours, they all went to Aileen, she was the go-to medic.

Her strong and unbreakable faith carried her through the challenges and the joys in life, she loved her parish and community, always willing to get involved and give back, with many years spent raising funds for the Tullylish Lourdes committee.  And in her later years she enjoyed attending new groups such as the WI and craft classes, extending her group of friends even further.

But the highlight of her later years was no doubt the arrival of her two beloved grandchildren, Conor and Emily.  She devoted her time to caring for both of them, passing on all her love, kindness and faith.  Thursdays were most definitely Conor and Emily’s favourite day of the week, the day Nana looked after them, with a limitless supply of treats and fun.  Her devotion to both was apparent as the photos in the house gradually got replaced with new ones of Conor and Emily.

No one could possibly ask for a better grandmother, mother, mother-in-law, wife, sister, sister-in-law, auntie or friend than Aileen.  Anyone who knew her always made one statement, she was a true lady.

Aileen was also a very valued member of the TLC group in the parish. Always in good humour, Aileen was so caring in character and you always left her company feeling better. She was, as Brian and hundreds of others have said 'a lady'. Below are just a couple of snaps from her days in the TLC.