THE high respect and affection with which Cyril Gunn was held by his Derrylin community and further afield was perfectly encapsulated in the homily words of his funeral Mass celebrant, Fr. Gerard Alwill.
“In the life of Cyril Gunn, we see how one, who in worldly terms was one of the little ones, brought so much joy and happiness to others”.
“Although his condition of Down’s Syndrome meant that his interaction with the local community was somewhat limited, his zest for life and the warmth and liveliness of his personality had a huge influence on all those who knew him”.
Youngest son of Jimmie and Rose Anne Gunn, born in 1953, at a time when there was no appropriate educational provision, Cyril attended St. Ninnidh’s PS until the early 1960s, then progressed to newly opened specialist units in Enniskillen and Killadeas.
As a young man, he was given the opportunity for work experience, spending time in Desmond’s and Kent Plastics, Enniskillen and Lisnaskea’s Cotton Factory.
From the 1990s on, he spent the remainder of his working life at the Share Centre where he was fondly known as ‘The Boss’.
Cyril’s father was a local taximan who took Cyril everywhere he went, the fact that passengers so readily accepted him, meant for Cyril, that he was accepted as an equal member of society.
He had a great love of sport, an avid O’Connell’s supporter especially when Tommy and Seamus were playing.
A keen Daniel O’Donnell fan, who loved dancing, Country & Western music was another of his interests and he was an active member of Derrylin Youth Club and a familiar after school visitor to ‘tidy up’ in St. Aidan’s.
Blessed with a simple, but deep faith, he attended Mass on a regular basis, until his health declined, Fr. Alwill saying, “Cyril was certainly one of God’s most faithful people”, then fondly recalling;
“Not only that, but he also liked to help the altar servers, especially at funerals. Whether or not he knew the deceased or their family, he would carry the holy water, at the head of the procession to the grave”.
While all of the family helped to support Cyril, in the early days it was his parents who did a huge amount of the caring.
Following his father’s death in 1983, his mother continued to look after Cyril and when she, in turn, became unwell, Cyril, in his own kind way, became an unofficial carer to her.
In recent years, Cyril’s sisters and brothers all played their part in seeing after him, receiving huge assistance from his designated carers whose dedicated, selfless care, gave his family the reassurance and peace of mind of knowing that he was in good hands.
Cyril is survived by brothers, Tommy (Una) and Seamus (Catherine RIP), sisters Anna (Paddy RIP) and Margaret (PJ).
Following Requiem Mass, burial took place in the adjoining cemetery.
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