‘LOVELY FELLA’…Neal Hanratty
TRILLICK and the wider community has been plunged into grief following the unexpected death of father-of-three Neal Hanratty.
Neal, of Killyfuddy, Trillick passed away on Saturday, February 6. His wife Grainne (nee Warnock) works as a music teacher at St Michael’s College, Enniskillen.
Speaking this week Trillick parish priest Very Rev Canon John McKenna said Neal’s death had been a “terrible shock” to the community.
“It’s a terrible shock, the people are really shocked about it, he was such a lovely fella too, they’re a lovely family.”
Neal is a father to young children Eimear, Eva and Dylan, the son of Oliver and Mary Hanratty as well as brother to Martin.
Fr McKenna described Neal as a “very well qualified man” with a “great love for music”.
Born in Portadown he later moved to Dungannon where he attended St Patrick’s Academy. He studied there and then continued on at Queen’s University, Belfast where he attained a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, followed by a Masters degree in Computer Aided Mechanical Engineering Design.
From University he began work with an engineering firm based in Dublin and was later to gain employment in Terex Finlay in Omagh, where he worked as Engineering Systems and Standards Manager, travelling worldwide providing staff training for engineers. For the past year he had been working for the firm in the role of MP Group Engineering Systems Manager.
Trillick Sinn Fein councillor Stephen McCann said the whole community was “truly saddened” at the death of a “big family man”.
“A highly respected, well-established family in the area. The Warnock family used to have a business in the town and they’re held in high regard by all. I know that Neal and Grainne would have had a young family and he was a big family man.”
He continued:
“Whenever news broke on Saturday evening about Neal’s sudden death people just stopped what they were doing, it was just a real shock. Even still it’s very hard to comprehend, a man who was well-liked in the community has gone so suddenly. I’m heart-broken for Grainne and his three young children. People just can’t get their heads around it all, it’s an awful tragedy.”
A spokesman from Trillick GAC expressed heartfelt condolences to the family.
“Trillick GAC offers sincere sympathy to the Hanratty and Warnock families on the death of Neal, father of our young players Eimear, Eva and Dylan and brother-in-law of Dermot who represents the club with such distinction.”
The Requiem Mass for Neal Hanratty took place yesterday (Wednesday) at 11am in St Macartan’s Church, Trillick and was followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery.
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