Late Babs Mearns (104) of Blessington remembered as independent and full of the Spirit

Babs Mearns nee Flanagan, died peacefully on Monday, April 15, surrounded by her loving family. She was the wife of the late Jack and was the last surviving member of her ten siblings, having been predeceased by brothers Christopher, Barney, Tom and Jack, and sisters Kitty, Lil, Sheila, Molly, Evie and Allie.

She was the daughter of the late Christopher and Elizabeth and will be sadly missed by her loving five generations of nieces and nephews, extended family, neighbours, and friends.

This is Wicklow Newsletter

Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Wicklow newsletter direct to your inbox.

This field is required

Sign Up

Please check your inbox to verify your details

Babs only celebrated her 104th birthday on Sunday, April 7, and was delighted to receive her fourth medal from President Michael D Higgins, along with the customary letter.

Her well-attended funeral mass took place on Thursday at Church of Our Lady, Crosschapel, Blessington, followed by her burial at Burgage Cemetery.

Presiding over the funeral mass, Fr Paraic McDermott recalled how important Bab’s faith was to her life.

“When we first think of Babs we all have great and different memories of her,” he told the congregation.

“The main thing that struck me was her faith, her faith in God, a loving God, her faith in Jesus, her faith in the Eucharist, her faith in prayer and her faith in mass. And there are many things that happened in her life, good things and bad things, but she was unshaken because of her faith.

“That was her life and it was founded on a rock. When you think about it, that is the greatest gift of all, the gift of our faith.”

He further recalled meeting Babs for the very first time and how any subsequent encounters they had always left him feeling more upbeat afterwards.

“I only knew Babs in her 90’s and then 100’s. I don’t know where I met her first, here, the church in Blessington or at SuperValu.

“Maybe Supervalu. She was going around with her trolley, on her own you would think, but her niece was always there somewhere in the background.

“Babs was totally independent. What I remember about the woman I met in SuperValu is the light shining in her eyes. I really believe she was full of the Spirit, the Spirit of God, the spirit of joy, the spirit of happiness. Yes, the body was frail but the spirit was undimmed.

“Anytime I left her I always felt better. She had given me something – hope, positivity and happiness, and I think she did that to everyone who came into the circle of her life.”

Her grand-niece Sharon also spoke fondly of Babs and the lasting impression she left with anyone who knew or met her.

“She would say to each and every one of you, ‘I’m the lucky one and I would change places with you in the world’. It was one of her many sayings and she truly meant it.”

Babs was born on April 7, 1920, and was one of eleven children. She enjoyed a mostly happy and idyllic childhood but had to deal with tragedy from a young age.

“Unfortunately, she lost her father and a number of siblings at an early age and those tragedies moulded her into the strong woman we all knew and loved.”

Babs was a hard worker who could turn her hand to anything and had a number of jobs down the years. She spoke fondly of her time working in the Downshire Hotel and years later of her time as housekeeper for Fr O’Brien and Fr Farrell at Manor Kilbride. She also worked as a weaver along with her brother Jack at Blessington windmills.

At the age of 44 she married her beloved Jack, who she sadly lost after 16 happy but short years.

As the funeral service drew to a close, Sharon said: “As Babs would say: ‘End of story’. But really it’s an end of an era. God bless you Babs.”

May she rest in peace.