Mr Bonny Brown

ALL too often in life we take for granted the good qualities our friends and acquaintances possess. Very often they are the unsung heroes in society.

Bonny Brown was an unsung hero. He was a helper, a giver, a friend in need. These qualities — and more — come to the surface when you examine his life.

Kevin Bonaventure Brown was born in Leitrim in 1948, the seventh son of John and Rose Brown. He would eventually have ten brothers and two sisters and anyone, like myself, who grew up in a big family will understand the level of stick they gave each other.

For good measure he was small, so he had to develop a quick wit in order to hold his own. That quality stood him in good stead when it came to giving banter.

Growing up in Leitrim Bonny was hurling mad. However, his lifelong friend, Arty O’Hare, summed up his ability as “useless but 

wicked”.

Bonny married Frances Walsh, from Drumaness, in August, 1972, and while he never forgot his Leitrim roots, he immersed himself in every aspect of life in Drumaness.

Bonny began his working life in construction with big firms like Farrens and Pilot, working on iconic projects such as the Europa Hotel and Ballylumford power station.

He had become very friendly with Maurice Walsh in Drumaness and their shared interest in cars saw them follow the Circuit Of Ireland Rally for its full five days every Easter.

That interest in cars led him to start working on them and after some years this largely self taught mechanic was so busy that he added a fully fitted garage 

to his house and went full time.

I was one of his customers and as such you knew he would never see you stuck, no matter the circumstances. Famously, he once went  to the rescue of a stricken customer on Christmas Night. Nothing was too much trouble for Bonny.

On the sporting front Bonny was prolific. He was a much loved coach/manager of the Drumaness camogie team — a sidekick to the legendary Annie Gelston. He also had a four year spell as manager of the hurling team, guiding them to two cup finals.

During these years Bonny was the go-to man if you needed a hurl repaired. He did so without complaint and free of charge.

Bonny had a long affiliation with Drumaness Mills. He became a trustee of the club,putting his personal finances on the line. He and Frances were also committee members for many years.

Bonny loved going to both clubs. He did enjoy a pint, but it was mainly the social aspect he revelled in. The craic and the banter allowed his ready wit and mischievous sense of humour to flourish. The only time you didn’t want to see Bonny  was when you were in a hurry — he could talk for Ireland.

His father-in-law, PJ Walsh, fell victim to cancer some years ago and Bonny, struck by the fantastic work carried out by Marie Curie, decided to organise a fundraiser for them in the soccer club, which became an annual event. It was the beginning of a long association with Marie Curie and Bonny and Frances represented the charity at other fund raisers in later years.

Skittles, cycling and walking also competed for time in Bonny’s busy life, the walking taking precedence in later years as he fought back against heart problems. He had a pacemaker fitted only eight weeks ago and was scheduled to undergo more surgery, but sadly another heart attack claimed his life.

Bonny had two sons, Barry and Stephen, and when I talk to them about their dad the respect they had for him shines like a beacon. They and cherished grandson Ben are devastated by their loss.

His funeral struggled to cope with current social distancing requirements, hardly surprising when you consider he was one of 13 children.A truly heartbroken Frances is also from a big family and when you factor in how many people he did a good turn for in his life, the lined streets are explained.

Bobby was part of the fabric of Drumaness and a village which has lost so many good people recently can ill afford to lose a heart as big as his. RIP Bonny.

Bonny Brown 1948-2020.

Donal Bell