One of Enniskillen’s most revered citizens, Cahir McKeown, has died, aged 91 years. Cahir, whose passing occurred on April 30, 2015, was for many years a lecturer in building construction and painting and decorating at Fermanagh College.

Born in 1924, at the Hollow, Enniskillen, he was a son of Charles McKeown, a long serving Nationalist councillor of Enniskillen Urban District Council and his wife Mary Catherine Sheridan from Co. Louth.

Cahir, who was strongly influenced by his father, was very proud of his father’s career and always felt that he should have had more recognition for the work he did along with local M.P. Cahir Healy.

Cahir was educated at St. Michael’s Primary School, where poet and playwright Francis Harvey was a classmate, Enniskillen Technical College and in Belfast.

In Cahir’s early days he worked for the family painting and decorating business before becoming a lecturer in building studies at Enniskillen Technical College where he taught sign-writing and other specialist skills.

A skilled craftsman in his own right, following his retirement from teaching he continued to work on specialist jobs, such as the restoration of St. Macartin’s Cathedral in Enniskillen. He was also an amateur artist and a member of the Island Artists group.

Indeed Cahir was a member of many cultural and social groups in Enniskillen and played an active, though rarely a leading part.

Cahir preferred to be involved, to be working with other people and he gave his time generously, whether it was painting the set for a local drama group or working with local charities, such as Age Concern, where, as teaching colleague Florence Creighton remembers, he and his students painted houses for senior citizens while Florence and her students baked for them.

Well into his eighties Cahir continued to be actively involved with the U3A - the University of the Third Age - and Toastmasters where he delighted people with his stories and recitations, and happily shared his knowledge of old Enniskillen and its people.

Cahir was particularly interested in people and always had time to talk to the many people he met on his walks around the town.

He was a regular contributor to the Fermanagh Miscellany and attended meetings of the Fermanagh Authors’ Association faithfully. Cahir himself was the author of two books - Enniskillen Reminiscences and a history of the local branch of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

One of the oldest members of St. Michael’s Parish, Cahir was a devout Catholic whose faith sustained him during difficult times. He took pride in St. Michael’s Church which he worked on, on a number of occasions.

He enjoyed many trips to Lourdes, Fatima and Knock and like his father was a life long member of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association and the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

He also had a life-long love of Gaelic games, particularly hurling which he played himself as a young man.

Cahir was blessed to have many friends and relations who supported him in his latter years and with whom he travelled about when he had stopped driving himself. With Jim Nolan, he visited many places including the Seán Mac Eoin memorial at Ballinalea. Cahir remembered the late General Mac Eoin visiting the Feis in Enniskillen in his father’s time. At the garrison church at Finner, the H.Q. of the 28th Batt. in Donegal he was delighted to meet the chaplain, Fr. Alan Ward, a native of Enniskillen. They also visited Jim’s native Roscommon where Cahir took a great interest in the local landscapes and husbandry techniques.

They also regularly attended the Dooneen Education Centre. Another great friend in recent times was Noel Cochrane from Tempo whom he had met through the U3A where they both enjoyed the storytelling, singing, bus trips and concerts. Cahir really appreciated the fact that Noel spent a lot of time with him during his last months when he was a resident of the Millcroft Nursing Home where Cahir was happy and very well cared for.

A very positive and sociable individual Cahir was a great walker who loved meeting old friends up the town and at events in the Clinton Centre, the Ardhowen Theatre and Fermanagh House. He was also a great supporter of Fermanagh County Museum, to whom he donated many items over the years and in 2010 the museum held a retrospective exhibition of his paintings.

Cahir married Mary Connolly of Drumhilla, Scotshouse, Co. Monaghan, in January 1954. She died in middle age and Cahir was a widower for many years. Cahir was buried in Scotshouse following Mass in St. Michael’s Church in Enniskillen.

Cahir is survived by his older brother Seán, and his nephew Cathal in Dublin, and predeceased by his sisters Bridget and Rose and by his brothers Teddy, Michael and Barney. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Mai in Enniskillen and his niece Catherine in Dundee and by the McDermott family, Drumhillagh, Scotshouse, Co. Monaghan.