Death of Fr. Eddie Lynch, Redemptorist, in our Esker Community. Dec. 1, 2014

The death has occurred today, December 1^st, 2014, of our confrère, Fr. Eddie Lynch, a member of our Redemptorist Community in Esker. He died peacefully at 1.55am today, in University Hospital Galway. He had been very ill for over a year past. May he rest in the peace of the Risen Lord. May the promised crown be given to him for all his labours for the Gospel.

Born on 25.12.1929, he took his vows as a Redemptorist on September 24, 1959, and was ordained priest on January 16, 1966.

Fr. Eddie worked in the Post Office in Limerick and Shannon for some years, before joining the Redemptorists at age 28, doing his Novitiate Year in Esker 1959-’60.  After Ordination in Cluain Mhuire, Galway in 1966 he ministered wholeheartedly as a Redemptorist Missionary in Ireland, giving Parish Missions in many place throughout the length and breadth of the country. He was attached, at different times, to the following Redemptorist Communities: Mount St. Alphonsus (1966-67), St. Clement’s Retreat House in Belfast (1967-70), Cluain Mhuire, Mervue in Galway (1970-’73), St. Joseph’s Dundalk (1973-’78), Mt. St. Alphonsus’, Limerick (1978-’84),  Clonard Monastery Belfast (1984-’90), St. Gerard’s Parish on the Antrim Road as Parish Priest (1990-’93), and, since 1993, for over twenty years, here in Esker, Athenry, Co. Galway.

Fr. Eddie is deeply regretted by his nieces, nephews and their families, also his many friends, Redemptorist confrères, and so many people whom he served in his ministry as a Redemptorist.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dilis.

———————–  (The following was printed on the Mass Leaflet for Fr. Eddie, for his funeral Mass on Thursday December 4th, 2014.)

Eddie Lynch was a Christmas baby.  He arrived in Fedamore, County Limerick on 25th December 1929.  After school he moved to Limerick where he became an honorary member of the Howell family.  He worked in the Post Office and throughout his life had a fund of memories  from his work with the Department of Posts and Telegraphs at Shannon Airport.  When told by Redemptorists from the Philippines that they had travelled on the double deck Airbus 380, Ed commented “yes, we had those double deck planes in Shannon in the nineteen fifties—the Boeing 377, operated by BOAC”.

The Redemptorists, the Arch Confraternity and Mt St Alphonsus in Limerick were important in his faith life.  As an “older man” of twenty nine, he completed his Leaving Cert in what is now St Clement’s College.  He was professed as a Redemptorist, in Esker, in 1960, ordained in Cluain Mhuire, Galway in 1966.

He loved his life in ministry.  He enjoyed his years in the retreat houses in Limerick, Belfast and Galway.  He had great affection for the people of Clonard in Belfast and the parishioners of St Gerard’s.  Hardly a born ecumenist, his friendships with Presbyterian ministers drew him into the Shankill Road and among its people, at a time when it was not a holiday destination for Catholic priests.

His preferred work as a Redemptorist was the decade of teaming with his friend James Travers in their mission preaching through Western Ireland, anywhere from Ballydehob to Bloody Foreland.  They had begun their missionary journeys in Dundalk. In his latter years in Esker Ed, was the proud and determined editor of the weekly bulletin.  He created “Cemetery Sunday”.  Now he too, goes to face the rising sun, over St Dominic’s Hill.

A signal of his approaching death came a month ago when he stopped looking for batteries, the radio switched off and his voracious interest in news and world affairs trailed to an echo.  He could no longer be prodded to express a view on United States foreign policy.

He passed almost imperceptibly through death into life in the early hours of Monday morning, 1st December 2014 at UHG.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.