Tributes to Drumnakilly man who loved his family and cars

REMEMBERED for his passion for motor sport and lifelong dedication to the local rally scene, Drumnakilly man Pat McAleer passed away peacefully at home on July 17, surrounded by his loving family.

In his youth, Pat was one of the first pupils to attend Drumduff Primary School when it opened in 1936. As a young boy, he also worked in his father’s blacksmith forge after school.

“He used to talk about how he only had one pair of shoes in those days,” recalled his son Dessie.

“He would walk to school in his bare feet and put the shoes on just before going inside, to stop them wearing out.”

While he learned the blacksmith trade from his father, Pat’s true interest lay in motor cars.

After leaving school, he set up his own garage in Drumnakilly and later worked for McAleer and Masterson before spending over 20 years at Charltons Garage on the Derry Road in Omagh.

It was during his time at Charltons that Pat became involved in rallying.

Alongside his friend Ronnie McCartney, he built a Mini Cooper S, the very car in which Ronnie won the 1964 Circuit of Ireland Rally.

Though Pat preferred to stay behind the scenes rather than drive, he became a well-known figure across the Irish rally scene as a marshal and time-keeper.

He was a time-keeper at the very first Donegal International Rally and remained part of the event for over 50 years – never missing a single year until now.

“He was the only person to attend the Donegal Rally every single year, doing the same job each time,” Dessie said.

“He was also an honorary member of the Omagh Motor Club and was still time-keeping in Enniskillen and Cavan as recently as June.”

Pat met his beloved wife Mary at the age of 18 at the Gap Ballroom in Omagh… and famously left her home on the handlebars of his bicycle.

“It was like something out of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” Dessie laughed.

The couple married in 1959 and had six children: Aidan, Dessie, Ronnie, Helen, Declan, and Monica, who sadly passed away at just six months old.

Pat’s Requiem Mass took place on Saturday, July 19 at St Patrick’s Church, Drumduff, with burial in the adjoining cemetery.