Pat Ward’s larger than life personality and the experiences shared with this ‘gentle giant’ of Co Tyrone will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
For almost a quarter of a century Pat was a diligent and loyal employee of Daly’s hardware store in the centre of Carrickmore.
A common sight for decades was Pat riding his bicycle to and from the town, keeping him as fit as a man half his age. The climb from Doherty’s Bridge was a herculean feat itself. Later he would get his driving licence and the bike was parked up.
A visit to Daly’s yard for supplies would be accompanied by Pat’s sharp wit, brilliant sense of humour and story-telling ability. He would transport the listener back to times of yore and the joy of the telling would be apparent on both the listener’s and Pat’s face, none of which was diminished by the amount of truth therein.
Every day was an education for the customer as he told stories of turf cutting, potato gathering, tying corn, social life in the parish and other key events of the past.
Central to these tales were the characters he remembered fondly, many of whom had gone to their eternal reward. These included friends, neighbours and relations and cemented Pat’s great sense of pride in his own community.
Pat was born on April 5 1948, the son of Maggie (née Keenan) and Hughie (Mick) Ward, and was a native of the townland of Colaghty.
He began school in St James’s, Tremogue, which was unusual as it was at the opposite side of the parish. However, he was trusted to the care of a teacher, Miss Minnie Ward, a neighbour who would collect him each morning and leave him home in the evening.
Following the death of his father at the relatively young age of 65, he looked after his mother and the home farm with a respect and loyalty that many mothers would wish for. Then, when she died in 1992, Pat carved out a new chapter in his life, first at the Milestone centre and then at Daly’s shop, a place he became synonymous with.
A key tenet of his life was his loyalty to Carrickmore GFC, no doubt inspired by tales of his uncle and namesake, Paddy Ward, a noted player and leader in the formative years of the famous club.
Pat’s daily mood ebbed and flowed with the fortunes of the senior team. He travelled far and wide with his friends Pat McCartan and Kevin Scallon to support Carrickmore and they were blessed to enjoy many happy occasions together. He was knowledgeable of the game and could recount teams and games of the past with ease.
His interest extended to all sports and as a Manchester United fanatic he was just as comfortable discussing the Premier League with delivery drivers and customers as he was in the crowd of home supporters at Pairc Colmcille.
A visit to Daly’s yard for supplies would always be accompanied by Pat’s sharp wit, brilliant sense of humour and story-telling ability
Also central to his life was his faith and he could be seen each Sunday at Mass, usually in the ‘men’s short aisle’, praying from his late mother’s missal. After Mass he would attend the graves of his family members and friends. On his rounds his conversations and stories would continue as he met up with the familiar faces that he befriended over his lifetime.
Pat’s death on February 26, following a severe stroke, left the community of Carrickmore in a state of shock and the large attendance at his wake and funeral was a testament to the high esteem in which he was held in the community. He will be sadly missed by his cousins, neighbours, work colleagues and friends.