Rita Quinn

THE death occurred on Sunday, January 31 of Mrs Rita Quinn, widow of the late Brian Quinn. She passed away in Daisy Hill Hospital, with her family present.

Although very much a person of Downpatrick, Rita was actually born in Poyntzpass, Co Armagh on November 9, 1934, the fourth of 16 brothers and sisters, born to Pat and Kathleen Magennis.

Rita attended primary school in ‘The Pass’ before progressing to The Sacred Heart in Newry.

She came to Downpatrick on February 2, 1952, coincidentally the day that the mother of her future husband, Brian, passed away and 64 years exactly to the day that she was laid to her eternal rest.

She came to Downpatrick to begin work as a nurse in the Downshire Hospital, and where she worked until retirement as a ward sister in 1990. 

Rita’s life as a nurse mirrored that of her life outside work. Care and compassion were bywords for everything she undertook in life. Rita immersed herself in all aspects of community life in Downpatrick and was never afraid to roll her sleeves up and help in many fundraising events whether they be for charity, her local parish committees or indeed the Russell Gaelic Union where husband Brian played a pivotal role.

Her participation in the local Conference of Saint Vincent De Paul was one that gave her much satisfaction. Always one to help those less fortunate or who had fallen on difficult times, she would have spent many hours attending those in need irrespective of time of day or night putting aside her own plans.

She was also a lady of great religious faith and this also shaped her philosophy in life towards helping others but the Church also played a central role in her life and she was an active participant in all aspects of parish life.

Rita was however someone who enjoyed life and loved the “craic”, nowhere more so than at a race meeting and was a regular race goer to many tracks across Ireland and beyond. She loved the Dundalk meeting around the ‘Twelfth’ as well as the Ebor meeting in York every August where she spent many happy times with Brian, Pat and Mary Kelly as well as her brother Liam and sister in law Kathleen.

She loved the odd flutter through the local bookies and would be seen studying the form in the morning papers before getting hold of ‘Clemmy’ to put her modest bets on.

She followed all sports; live, on TV, the radio or in print. A regular visitor to Croke Park, particularly for Down matches, she was none the less overjoyed to be present there in 2003 for her native Armagh’s first ever annexing of Sam. 

Rita also loved playing cards be it poker, switch, whist or rummy. However, her name will always be synonymous with the setting up of the Downshire Hospital Bridge Club in 1974 along with several friends and colleagues. She remained secretary of the club until 2014 when she stood down after 40 years’ service, which was marked by all her friends in the Club by the establishing of a tournament in her name.

Despite a very active work, social and pastoral life, family was central to Rita’s entire life. She enjoyed 40 happy years married to Brian before he passed away in 1996, and was devoted to her five sons, Feargal, Colm, Phelim, Donal and Ruadhri. 

Rita will be sadly missed by her sons as well as daughters in law, Bronagh, Isobel, Briege, Barbara and Sonya, grandchildren Conor, Naoimh, Niall, Donall, Darragh, Oran, Ella, Katie, Miriam, Lucy, Aoife, Jack, Ruairi, Rosa and Pairic.

She is also survived by her brothers, Art, John, Eivor, Liam, Brendan and Adrian, sisters, May, Kathleen, Sheena, Ann, Philomena, Briege, Carmel and Deirdre. She was predeceased by her brother Jim in October 2014.

Rita was laid to rest in Struell Cemetery alongside husband Brian on February 2. The large crowd who attended the house for her wake and also who were present at the funeral bore testament to the esteem by which Rita was held not only locally but much further afield.