Priest’s poignant tribute to the mother of Tyrone GAA captain

MOURNERS at the Requiem Mass for the late Joan Harte in St Patrick’s Church in Eskra yesterday (Wednesday) heard how she was a unique figure in the local community who would be remembered for her love of life, strength and resilience.

The mother of Tyrone GAA captain Peter, Mrs Harte died in the early hours of Sunday morning.

For many years, she was a teacher at St Patrick’s Primary School in Eskra and also served as a member of the Board of Governors at St Joseph’s Grammar School in Donaghmore, and at St Mary’s University in Belfast.

Mrs Harte was also key in establishing the Parish Council in the area and was a driving force in the recent development of the Legion of Mary in both Eskra and Omagh.

Hundreds of people attended her funeral and burial afterwards in the cemetery at St Malachy’s Church in Ballymacilroy.

At the Mass, items brought to the altar to reflect her life included a picture of her family drawn by her eldest granddaughter, Olivia, a statue of Our Lady and Rosary beads, the handbook of the Legion of Mary and the crest of St Patrick’s Primary in Eskra, which was co-designed by Joan.

In his homily, Canon Noel McGahan said it was unlikely that there would ever be someone ‘quite like Joan’ again in the locality.

“Joan was happy to be called home in the early hours of Sunday morning. If she had a choice as to what day of the week she would like to die, what I know of Joan I think she would have chosen a Sunday,” Canon McGahan said.

“The basic faith that she had made her the person that we all knew, loved and highly respected in every manner. She was a very calm, thoughtful, generous and very genuine person – a person of faith, hope and love.”

Canon McGahan said that Joan Harte had looked forward to meeting her God, whom she had faithfully served.

He said that he would be a ‘very happy man’ if he only had half the faith which Joan Harte possessed.

“Joan was born in Eskra in 1950, one of 12 of a family. She attended the local National School, and then to the Loreto Grammar in Omagh. At the age of 17 she went to teacher-training college in Liverpool and completed her training in London.

“She began her teaching life in the Waterside Boys Primary School in Derry and loved her time there. Joan came back to here in Eskra in 1978 and became principal at St Patrick’s in 1990, and retired in 2010.”

He said that Joan and her husband Brendan had enjoyed 44 years of married life together, adding that she had instilled in her children the ethos of being kind to everyone they met on a daily basis.

“Joan followed Peter throughout the country during his footballing career and travelled throughout this country to watch football matches and making friends along the way,” he added.

Members of the Errigal Ciaran and Tyrone GAA teams and pupils from local schools formed a guard of honour for the funeral cortege.