Popular Doris loved bingo and dancing

By Thomas Maher

THE funeral of beloved mother and grandmother Doris Gallagher (née Sproule) took place at St Patrick’s Church, Castlederg, over the weekend.

Mrs Gallagher passed away peacefully at her home in Eden Park on Wednesday, February 5, aged 70.

She was the beloved wife of the late Joe Gallagher; a much-loved mother to Sinead (Alec), John (Keira), Paul (Eadaoin) and Aisling (Frank); a devoted grandmother to 13 grandchildren; a dear sister of Pearl, Mary, Joan, Sylvia, Harold, Florence, Thelma, Sandra and William; and was predeceased by her sisters Myra, Frances and Betty. She was also a cherished daughter of the late Ellen and Ernest Sproule.

Speaking during her Requiem Mass on Saturday, Fr Paul Fraser said that being a mother was the role that most defined Doris’s life.

“If there is one role that defined Doris Gallagher, it was that of a mother,” he said. “She undertook it with unwavering seriousness and ensured her children were properly cared for. Her dedication extended far beyond their childhood, and through their own stories, her children can attest to her enduring guidance.”

Doris, the youngest of 13 children, went straight from school to work at Spamount Mill. She met her husband Joe more than 50 years ago, and together they raised their family. After her children began school, she worked at Castlederg Leisure Centre.

Fr Fraser said Doris’s upbringing in the Sproule family home, where values of giving, sharing and caring were instilled, and shaped the way she nurtured her own family.

“Nothing was more important to her than family, and she showed this throughout her life,” he said.

He also recalled Doris’s love of holidays and cruises, her enjoyment of dancing, and her

fondness for bingo, which she attended up to six nights a week until just weeks before her passing, always finding joy and amusement in the game.