MICHAEL (MIKE JOE) CRONIN SUNRISE: 12TH SEPTEMBER 1942 SUNSET: 26TH MAY 2020 Memories are a treasure, time can’t take them away and we have so many wonderful memories of Mike Joe that we will cherish forever – sometimes with laughter, sometimes with tears, but always with love. After leaving school in Lenamore he worked in various jobs – with farmers, with the Board of Public Works, in Listowel Mart, with a builder, as an honorary milk man with Tom Manaher, at Newtownsandes Co-op and finally in Tarbert Power Station where he made many wonderful friends for life. Although his two sisters Noreen and Mary moved to England, all three kept in regular contact with each other. This was very important to Mike Joe and he loved their visits home, always looking forward to meeting them for a good catch up. Stories were recalled of days gone by and new memories were made. Even though they were separated by land and sea they always held a special bond. As Noreen said to me only recently she “always knew she could rely and depend on Mike”. In later years this bond was nourished and strengthened through friendship with his brother in law Ron, nephew Tim, grandnephew Aidan and grandniece Niamh. Mom and Dad had a very special bond. Their love and friendship towards each other was plain for all to see. Their friendship towards each other was plain for all to see. They both enjoyed doing their own thing and also loved doing things together. Dad was so proud of Mom in many ways. An example would be if Mom mentioned a singer she thought was good his reply would be “sure Nell aren’t you just as good if not better”. Dad and Joe were firm friends. He welcomed Joe into our house as if he has always been there. As he always said, “Joeen, you are one of us”. As for myself, I never had any hope of being involved in GAA in some capacity. Like I said to Dad, “for a man who only had one daughter, he raised a great son”. He took me to my first Moyvane game along with my first Kerry game, a Munster Final in Cork. We travelled with his lifelong friend Seamus who unfortunately took a wrong turn on the way home, causing us to go somewhat astray. I was warned not to mention our detour when we eventually got hoe but rest assured Mike Joe got a great kick out of the fact that “Roche took the wrong turn”. Mike Joe loved to read. The Independent newspaper arrived each day and was handed over before any other messages were removed from the bag. Any kind of book would do – sports, history – politics – fiction – the longer the better. Mike Joe read not just for pleasure but to retain the information. One thing is for sure – Dad was the easiest person ever to buy a present for – A book. Another pastime he enjoyed was crosswords and puzzles. He had great satisfaction when he managed to finish an extremely difficult one. If he got stuck for an answer I would hear “Ains, have you a few answers on the yoke” – the ‘yoke’ being Google. Even with the help of Google, it was still Mike Joe who actually ‘finished’ the crossword. He had an interest in most sports. He was a Liverpool supporter, an avid horse racing fan, liked to watch rugby and enjoyed both playing and watching darts. It was GAA however that was his true passion. He loved to watch hurling and Tipperary was his hurling team of choice. The feats of Nicky English, Babs Keating and Pat Fox were often spoken of in our kitchen. Although he mainly played underage football with his beloved Moyvane, his involvement as a supporter spanned many enjoyable years. He told me he attended his first Moyvane game in Stacks Field and to make the experience even better – we beat Listowel on the day. He stuck with the Moyvane teams through thick and thin down through the years, celebrating their victories both big and small. In recent years, although he had stopped attending games, he loved to hear about the victories of our current underage teams. He attended his first Kerry game with his father when he was 9, again like my first game, a Munster Final in Cork. He loved travelling to games and he and his beloved Eileen spent many enjoyable years travelling with the Kerry Supporters Club. When he eventually stopped travelling, I was given the task of relaying to him the ins and outs of the game. It is worth mentioning that in Mike Joe’s opinion, all Kerry victories were to be cherished – but he felt it was always just a little bit sweeter when we beat the Dubs. Mike Joe’s knowledge and memory when it came to GAA was well known, not just in the Boro, but also further afield. He seemed to have a natural ability to watch a game and memorise all of the action. Often I would quiz him by calling out different dates only to be regales with the winning All Ireland and North Kerry Champions of that year along with the team line outs, subs, scorers and who they defeated. When Moyvane GAA decided to celebrate its Senior North Kerry Championship titles, Mike Joe was often called upon to ensure that the correct players and scores were included. As someone said about him recently he was Moyvane’s very own Memory Man. He was the ‘go-to’ person to find out facts or even to settle an argument. So many people have helped us out over the past days. Their love and support has been invaluable along with their genuine affection for Mike Joe. We appreciate their kindness and generosity from the bottom of our hearts. Reading through the numerous beautiful messages of support we have received, certain works keep re-appearing – gentleman, quiet, unassuming, friendly and knowledgeable, just to name a few. To us, Dad was all of the above and so much more. We are so happy for him that his departure from us was so peaceful. Dad has gone to join his parents Tim and Nora, sister Mary, brother in laws, Ron, Michael and Tom and his son Patrick. It was half time for Dad here on earth but there is a long second half for him to enjoy in Heaven. May the angels guide him and may his gentle soul rest in peace. We will love him always and forever. “For we’ll n’er see another like the gallant Mike Joe” Eulogy given by daughter Áine at her Dad’s Funeral, Moyvane Church, Friday 29th May. .