Margaret Martin Died 2012

Margaret Martin, Trainor Crescent, Creggan, Crossmaglen, died peacefully at her residence, surrounded by her family, on January 2nd, after losing a four-year battle against cancer.

Margaret (neé Stephens), was formerly of Marian Park, Dundalk, born to parents, Bridie and the late Bill Stephens. She was third eldest of seven children and attended the old Scoil Eoin Baiste primary school located in Hamilton House in Fatima and made her First Holy Communion in the old chapel.

Margaret often told her children stories of her childhood and remembers moving into the new Scoil Eoin Baiste school after her Communion. She played Our Lady in a school play, with great friend, Katie Forbosey, playing the harp behind her.

Margaret always had a love for singing and was a member of the Marian Park Variety Group. She also loved sport and was part of the Cardinal Dalton AC.

After leaving primary school she enrolled at St. Louis Convent School and her love of singing, performing and sport grew while there. She always took part in plays and variety shows, and played for the school's badminton team. Margaret proudly had her badminton racquet hung in the hall of her home in Crossmaglen. She had very fond memories of her time in St. Louis and had great affection for Sr. Margaret Mary and Sr. Euphemia. On leaving school she went to work in Little Chic in the summer and afterwards worked in Clarks shoe factory, where her late father, Bill, was a foreman. Margaret and her life-long friend Kathleen Reel (neé Carr) loved music and dancing and both met their future husbands from across the Border at a dance. Margaret met Peter Martin at a function in the Nuremore Hotel and the couple married and moved to England where their first child, Deborah, was born. They moved back to live with Margaret's parents in Dundalk, before settling in Creggan. They went onto have three more children, Stephen, Celia and the baby, Petie Joe. Motherhood was a vocation for Margaret and she loved nothing more than to be surrounded by the love and laughter of her children. She forged a career in childcare, in a drop-in-creche minding friends' children while they went to day courses in St. Oliver Punkett's Youth Club. She undertook training in childcare with Cosy Corner Creche and finished her training in Little Bo Beep in Cullyhanna. She also helped out every year with the St. Oliver Plunkett Summer Youth Scheme.

Margaret also loved painting, gardening, Irish history and culture. She also had great faith in the angels and had a vast collection in her home.

When her grandchildren came along, she devoted her time to nurturing her relationship with them. With her love of singing and art, she encouraged their love of singing and performing and would spend lots of time doing arts and crafts and having fun with them. She was a loving, caring mother and friend who never spoke ill of anyone and encouraged her children to see the good in everyone.

She was happiest when surrounded by friends and family and although she seldom drank, she loved to be in the middle of the craic, singing and telling stories of the 'good old days' in her beloved Dundalk. Margaret was also a huge fan of the old showbands like Dickie Rock and frequently brought her daughters to the shows.

Her long illness was the best kept secret in Crossmaglen; she didn't want sympathy, just lived her life as she always did to the full. Margaret and her daughter, Celia, had just finished a flower arranging course in December, a month prior to her passing. To prepare for her passing, she jotted down information about her life, her happiest memories with her family, her wishes for her funeral and burial. She also wrote letters to each of her children, telling them how much she loved them and funny memories she had of them over the years.

Her family granted her last wish to be buried back in her beloved Dundalk with the help of her old buddy Helena Hearty (nee Mckeever). Margaret left nothing unsaid but left a legacy full of love and laughter and she will deeply missed by her daughters, Deborah and Celia; sons, Stephen and Petie; grandchildren; mother, Bridie; brothers, Frank, Martin and Brian; sisters, Bernie, Breda, Mary; sons-in-law and daughters-inlaw, brothers-in- law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended family and wide circle of friends.

She was predeceased by her father, Bill.