The Ederney community has been left saddned following the passing of Cormac McKervey who has been remembered as “one of North Fermanagh’s most respected and trusted veterinary surgeons”.
Formerly of Erne Drive, Ederney, Mr McKervey passed away peacefully on January 12 surrounded by his family aged 92.
Born and raised in Ederney, Cormac’s calling to become a vet was evident from an early age.
After qualifying from University College Dublin in 1959, he worked briefly in Omagh before returning home to establish his own veterinary practice.
Despite warnings that “people knew him too well,” Cormac proved that trust is earned through service. With tireless dedication, he covered a vast rural area stretching from Ballinamallard to Belleek, and Castlederg to Pettigo, becoming a lifeline to generations of farming families.
Immaculately dressed in his trademark white shirt and tie, and famously wearing out several VW Beetles on winding country roads, Cormac became a reassuring and familiar presence across the countryside. No call was ever refused, whether in the middle of a busy day or the depths of night. His skill, reliability, and warm, respectful manner earned him the deep trust and gratitude of the farming community.
Cormac married Immaculata (Mac) McGovern, of the American House, Bundoran, and together they made their home on Erne Drive. From there, the practice was run as a true family endeavour.
A gifted storyteller, Cormac delighted in recalling the many experiences gathered over decades on the road, pioneering Caesarean operations in cattle, lambings carried out in his own back garden, and even the extraordinary occasion when the army was called upon to airlift a sick cow from an island.
Retirement did not slow Cormac’s instinct to serve. With Mac by his side, he devoted over 30 years to humanitarian aid work in Bosnia, beginning in 1986 and continuing until 2019, delivering supplies to communities in desperate need. He also gave 20 years of dedicated service to the St Vincent de Paul charity shop in Enniskillen.
“As the community of Ederney, and many far beyond it, comes together in mourning, Cormac will be remembered with deep affection as a devoted husband, loving father, cherished grandfather, and loyal friend,” a spokesperson from Ederney Community Development Trust shared online.
“He was also one of North Fermanagh’s most respected and trusted veterinary surgeons, a man whose long life was marked by compassion, gentle humour, and an unwavering commitment to serving others. Central to all he did was a deep and abiding faith that guided and sustained him throughout his life.”
Mr McKerveys Requiem Mass will take place on Thursday Janurary 15 at St Joseph’s Church, Ederney at 11.00am, followed by interment in Edenclaw Cemetery.
