Tommy White Obituary, Death – Our former player and secretary, Tommy White, passed away recently, and the trustees, executive committee, and members of Cumann Naomh Pádraig, Droichead Mhaigh Eo CLG are in great mourning over his loss (Maigh Eo). Unfortunately, the name of Tommy White has now been added to that ever-expanding list of excellent people who have passed away from Mayobridge over the course of the past number of years. Tommy had made a significant impact on the people of Mayobridge over the course of his long life, and we ought to feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to share our community with a man of his caliber.
Tommy has been involved in many activities over the course of his life. Some of these activities include playing for the club, serving as secretary on the football committee at the age of 16, serving as secretary of the Youth Club when it first opened in 1965, being a prominent member of the Mayobridge Dramatic Society that performed plays in the old Parochial Hall, and being a star for the Mayobridge Indoor Bowling Club for a long number of years.
He was never one for the spotlight, preferring instead to put in a lot of hard, invisible labor behind the scenes for the benefit of the community as a whole rather than seek attention for himself. Bingo games were held in the former Parochial Hall and afterward in the Youth Club with his assistance. These games, along with others such as Gerry Quinn and Felix Poland, contributed to the fundraising efforts of the club and the Youth Club, which were well appreciated. In 1969, he was a member of the organizing group that was responsible for bringing Roy Orbison to the Bridge to perform for a benefit concert.
He was a member of the parish finance committee for many years, during which time he oversaw the parish bazaar and acted as the master of ceremonies for events held on the parish grounds. Additionally, he was instrumental in the purchase of the convent grounds after the Poor Clare nuns relocated to Newry in 2010. Over the course of many years, Tommy, along with his wife Ann and Margaret Small, contributed to the maintenance and upkeep of St. Anne’s Shrine. In addition, Tommy was a diligent fundraiser for the cystic fibrosis community and contributed to the raising of awareness in the years following the deaths of Martina in 1973 and Joseph in 1985.