Mrs Mary Taggart

THE death has taken place of Mrs Mary Taggart, of Killough Road, Downpatrick. She passed away peacefully at her home after a long illness on November 20 in the presence of her four children. She was 91.

Born Mary Elizabeth Connolly in 1931, she was the third child to Jack and Lily Connolly, from North Tyrella, who were well known throughout Mid Down as the proprietors of Connolly’s grocery shop and mobile shop lorries that toured the area. Her siblings were brothers Aloysius and John, who both predeceased her, and her sister, Colette McGrady.

Mary attended the nearby St Joseph’s Primary School before going to St Dominic’s School on the Falls Road in Belfast, where she boarded for five years. On completion of her education, she then studied at Miss Dunnes Commercial School in Belfast for two years where she learned the secretarial skills that were to be at the core of her future employments.

Her first job was within cycling distance from home in Ballykinlar military camp, where she was secretary to one of the commanders over the Hungarian refugee section of the camp. She then worked in Downpatrick as a legal secretary at King & Boyd Solicitors, where she remained until 1956, when she married Ciaran Taggart. Theirs was to be a long and happy marriage, lasting 63 years until Ciaran’s passing in 2019.

Although Mary took a career break to raise her family, she was a constant support to Ciaran in his business interests, whether it was as the owner of the Salt Box grocery shop, the Corner Service Station or his architect’s business, faithfully providing secretarial and administrative support for him.

On their marriage, Mary and Ciaran chose to live in Ballykinlar, with Mary remaining at home to raise her family. However, with her parents becoming increasingly frail, Mary also became their primary carer, nursing them at home with care and devotion for many years.

When both her parents had passed away, the family moved to Downpatrick in 1976. It was at this time that Mary then returned to paid employment, working for 21 years as a personal secretary to various senior managers in the health trust based in the Downshire Hospital, until her retirement.

Retirement, however, was not to be an idle venture as she started to look after several of her nine grandchildren, on whom she doted. Whilst there was not much time for hobbies or relaxation, Mary used whatever spare time she had for charitable fundraising. When in Ballykinlar she was President of the local Apostolic Work Society, raising funds for Missions abroad, as well as supporting local clergy with badminton and youth clubs.

For several decades Mary was also a head sponsor for the SMA Missionary Fathers at Dromantine, collecting donations for African Missions. She was also heavily involved in fundraising for St Patrick’s Church as a member of the Ladies Committee and maintaining rotas for the Eucharistic offerings for Sunday Masses.

In later years, Mary enjoyed knitting for the Missions and premature babies and fundraising for the Sisters of Mercy Zambia Mission. She loved family and revelled in the large gatherings of family and friends that marked birthday and anniversary milestones, with the last gathering for her 90th birthday back in September 2021. She took particular joy in the arrival of eight great grandchildren who visited regularly. As illness gradually took its toll, Mary remained at home content and secure in the care of her family, until the end.

Her funeral Mass was celebrated in St Patrick’s Church, Downpatrick, by her nephew, Fr Feargal McGrady, Fr Maurice Henry and Fr Brendan Kearns. 

Mary is survived by her children, Anne, Bronach, Diarmuid and Grainne, her sister, Colette McGrady, her sister-in-law, Margaret Connolly, her grandchildren and great grandchildren.