‘A Strabane man through and through’

‘A STRABANE man through and through,” – that was how beloved Strabane resident and former SDLP councillor Johnny Kennedy was described as he was laid to rest on Tuesday.

A well-known figure in the town’s fabric, Mr Kennedy was instrumental in political, parochial social, sporting and historical circles in the town for many years.

Speaking at his requiem mass at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, celebrant Fr Declan Boland says that his passing has left a ‘deep gap’ in the life of his family adding, “Jesus said that we would be known for our love for one another and, in that respect, Johnny has no case for which to answer.

“He was irreplaceable, one of Strabane’s great characters and an influence on everyone he met with the enormous contribution he made to the town.”

Fr Boland detailed how Mr Kennedy was born on Valentine’s Day in 1932 to parents William and Mary, baptised and received sacraments in the church where he was laid to rest and how church life became so important to him.

A shoe repairer by trade, Mr Kennedy began his working life in Micky Dunne’s shoe repair shop in Castle Place before setting up his own business in Butcher Street. Seeing the market for shoe repair diminishing, he went to work in the Adria factory before joining Strabane Training Services, passing on his shoe repair skills to the next generation.

Reminiscing on his social life, FR Boland commented, “Johnny was engrained in community life, helping out wherever he could in benefit for the people of Curleyhill and Strabane in general. He worked tirelessly as a community worker, becoming chairperson of the Curleyhill Community Association, sitting on the board of governors in his beloved Barrack Street School and working with Liam Kennedy in St Pat’s Hall. Johnny was also instrumental in the Strabane Historical Society, a founding member with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the town’s streets and history. He always paraphrased JFK by saying ‘Do not ask what Strabane can do for you, but what you can do for Strabane!

“It was during a 1959 panto called Pigtails in Paris where he met his wife Delia; he sang a song with the words ‘ohh lala ‘ and she came on singing ‘Oui oui oui!’ they fell in love and were married for sixty-two years; a role model for the parish!”

West Tyrone MLA for the SDLP Daniel McCrossan paid tribute to his former party colleague, saying, “Johnny was a truly remarkable gentleman who held a deep and lasting affection for Strabane and local people. Driven by his generous and caring nature, as well as his desire to improve the lives of local people, Johnny became one of the first SDLP councillors elected to Strabane Council. Alongside Tommy Casey and others, he tirelessly fought to provide housing for those in need. As a result of their determined efforts, the new Ballycolman was constructed…

“Our thoughts and prayers are with his beloved wife Delia and their sons Bill, Aidan, and John as they navigate this difficult time.”