Sadness at passing of two priests

By TOM GILMORE He showed leadership in the campaign to have third level education through Irish located in the Gaeltacht. He was appointed parish priest of An Cnoc in 1990 and resided at an Tulach for a few years. He renovated churches, schools and community centres in the parish as well as taking a very active role in the work of Comharchumann Shailearna. He gave a helping hand in enabling the co-operative train people to help themselves and one another. He influenced the Archbishop to donate a site as part of the local contribution for the new family support centre built close to the church in An Cnoc. It is estimated that he managed, through his work with committees, to get the State to invest at least €20 million in community structures in his parish in the last 20 years. In summer 2010 Archbishop Michael Neary paid tribute to Canon Flannery for the exemplary work done by him in four parishes of the Archdioceses over 50 years at a social occasion in a marquee at the rear of the church and the Board of Management of Scoil Sailearna and Cumann Forbartha Chois Fharraige made presentations to Canon Flannery as a mark of respect for his contribution to education and community development. Canon Flannery will be remembered not only as a spiritual leader for his parishioners but also as an exemplary leader in community development. His funeral Mass takes place in St Josephâ€â„¢s Church, Milltown, tomorrow (Thursday February 14). Meanwhile Fr Seamus Carter who passed away last Friday is well remembered in Cortoon where he served as CC from 1969 to 1980. He was born in Killawalla in 1929 and after being ordained in 1955 his first appointment was as CC in Carna. Fr Carter served among the emigrants in Leeds, England for a year before being appointed to Cortoon in 1969 where he was a very popular priest until 1980. Many people from Cortoon, Lavally and surrounding areas travelled to St Patrickâ€â„¢s Church, Killawalla to pay their final respects to him on Sunday and for the funeral Mass there on Monday. A keen beekeeper, Fr Carter encouraged many of his parishioners to get involved in beekeeping during his years in Cortoon and again during his years in Glenisland and Kilmaine. After retiring from the latter parish in 1997 he served as AP in The Neale until 1999. Fr Carter was laid to rest after Mass in Killawalla Church on Monday.[/private]