The passing occurred recently of Mrs. Ellen Sheridan, late of 74 Old Rossorry Road, Enniskillen. It is widely acknowledged that the mother is the mainstay of the Irish family, especially when that family is a large one, and this was clearly applicable in the case of Mrs. Sheridan.

Born Ellen McCabe in 1922, she was one of seven siblings born to the late Owen and Roseanne McCabe in the townland of Knockcaughey, near Gowna Co. Cavan.

Upon leaving school, she took up employment as a housekeeper in Cavan town where she was later to meet and marry her future husband, Tommy Sheridan from Water Street, Enniskillen, who at that time was engaged in reconstruction work to the roof of Cavan Cathedral.

They married in 1945 and moved to their first home at Market St., Enniskillen. In addition to supporting her husband, who at that time was involved in reviving the joinery business established by his late father, John in 1927, she gave birth to their first four children.

In 1951 the growing family moved to the newly constructed housing estate at Riverside, Cornagrade, Enniskillen where they were blessed with a further seven children.

While her husband Tommy was fully occupied in establishing and growing the joinery business at Market St., Enniskillen, she enthusiastically embraced her role, at the heart of the family, as the homemaker encouraging her large family to fully participate in education as a means of fulfilling their full potential. In her inimitable understated manner she was immensely proud of her family’s achievements.

In 1976 the family moved to the newly constructed home at Old Rossorry Road, Enniskillen, where she spent many happy years in the company of her family and by now her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Despite living most of her adult life in Enniskillen she remained, at heart, a passionate Cavan woman who espoused all things Irish characterised by her enduring fondness for the language, culture and music of the country.

Accompanied by her children she made frequent return trips to her native county and the family homestead at Knockcaughey, Co Cavan.

In her later years she derived great pleasure from engaging and interacting with her 24 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren, encouraging them, from a young age, to fulfil their potential.

Throughout her life, Ellen, as a devout Catholic, drew great strength from her faith and was conscious of the importance of passing on Christian values to her family. She regularly attended Mass in St. Michael’s, Enniskillen, until illness prevented her from doing so and she held a great devotion to Our Lady and the Sacred Heart.

Ellen was predeceased by her late husband, Tommy in 1994 and was to suffer the devastating loss of her son Tommy (junior) in 2006 following a short illness.

She is survived by her sister, Bridget (Cavan/London), her sons Sean, Philip, Dermot, Niall and Michael and by her daughters Geraldine, Helen, Gemma, Alice and Rosemary.