Tributes to ‘loving, gentlest person’

Tributes to ‘loving, gentlest person’

7 July 2021

THE Castlewellan mother who lost her life to Covid-19 has been hailed a “true Gael”.

Mrs Sarah Lennon (39) was laid to rest on Sunday after she sadly passed away at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald last Thursday.

Her funeral service was streamed live online due to current Covid restrictions and has since been viewed nearly 2,000 times.

Married to Eamon and mother of four children, Mrs Lennon was well-known and loved as a manager in the family business — Lennon’s Spar in Castlewellan — and the Tullybrannigan Stores in Newcastle. 

She is believed to have contracted coronavirus several weeks ago and her sad passing  has shocked the community in Castlewellan and Leitrim where she lived and worked.

Newry, Mourne and Down Council chairwoman, Cathy Mason, paid tribute to Mrs Lennon at the local authority’s monthly meeting on Monday night.

She described Mrs Lennon as a “true Gael” and a regular face in both the Castlewellan and Tullybrannigan shops.

“Sarah always had time to stop and have a chat and was one of life’s g

enuine people who cared for her local community,” said the chairwoman. “That was shown most recently when she provided water and refreshments to the firefighters who battled the huge blaze on the Mournes.”

Cllr Mason said her thoughts were with some of her fellow councillors who knew Sarah very well and “will no doubt be feeling a great loss tonight”.

Former council chairwoman, Laura Devlin, said she knew Mrs Lennon from not only her work in the family businesses, but also as a former classmate.

“We both attended St Malachy’s Primary School together and knew each other from there,” she explained. “Sarah was just the most loving, kindest, gentlest person you could ever meet and always the first to help someone out.

“She also had a really great sense of humour. The local community are just in shock at her loss. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her entire family and colleagues.”

Mrs Lennon, nee O’Hare, was born and raised on the Altnadue Road just outside Castlewellan, the daughter of Margaret and the late Eugene O’Hare.

She worked alongside her husband to run the popular businesses and look after their children Erin (11), Conleith (9) and three year-old Sophie. The couple sadly lost another son, Aidan.

Mrs Lennon played camogie when she was younger and was an active member of Bryansford GAC where she was a supervisor for the under-9 boys and under-11 girls. 

She was someone known for her passion and commitment to Gaelic games and encouraged her two eldest children to play.

Down GAA said that Mrs Lennon’s death had “cast a cloud over the Castlewellan and Leitrim areas.”

In a statement, the organisation said Sarah was always a friendly face in Lennon’s garage, which over many years has become an unofficial post office for Down GAA. 

“Sarah was always willing to assist in ensuring that people could collect or off items on behalf of Down GAA,” the statement added.

Castlewellan GAC also paid tribute to Mrs Lennon on social media. In a statement it said: “The Executive Committee and members of St Malachy’s GAC Castlewellan are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Sarah Lennon RIP.  We extend our deepest sympathies and prayers to Sarah’s husband, children, extended family and friends at this time.”

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service remembered Mrs Lennon’s kindness and support of firefighters in their recent battle with a huge wildfire in the Mournes at the end of April.

It said: “We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the husband, children, family and friends of Sarah Lennon (née O’Hare) of Tullybrannigan Stores/Lennon’s garage Castlewellan and thank the family of their recent support to the NIFRS.”

Mrs Lennon is also survived by her sister Bridget, brothers Shane and Paul and wider family circle.