Anne Barrett - A shining example of love, family and generosity
The late Elizbeth Anne Barrett nee Moloney.
The light that shone brightest of all in the Barrett family of 51 Larchville, Waterford, extinguished on May 8 as Elizabeth Anne, nee Moloney, died after battling an illness with the determination, courage, and strength that were to the forefront of her 70 years.
Anne was best known as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend to all who knew her best, and will always be remembered for her heart of gold, her love of family, her passion for cooking, and her dedication to helping others.
How much her family meant to her was clearly evident at her funeral Mass, as although she was a proud Waterford woman, who hailed from the Cork Road, a Shelbourne FC scarf, the club of her beloved son Patrick, draped her coffin.
Amid poignancy, her remains were removed from Thompson’s Funeral Home, Barrack Street, to St. Paul’s Church, where they were received and blessed by Monsignor Pat Fitzgerald, PP, St. Paul’s and Butlerstown.
Symbols representing her life were brought to the altar during her funeral Mass by her grandchildren, including a True Detective series, A Slot Machine, an inhaler, a remote control, a prayer book, and rosary beads.
In his homily, Monsignor Fitzgerald said, “We are mindful of the deep loss felt in saying goodbye to a woman who was at the very heart of so many lives. We pray that the love surrounding you here offers comfort, and that faith brings reassurance that Anne—your beloved wife, mother and friend—now rests with God.
“Anne’s story began on O’Reilly Road on the Cork Road, one of eleven children born to Cha Maloney and Dolly Robinson, part of a remarkable and close-knit family. That strong sense of family would shape her whole life. In time, with her devoted husband, Paddy—her partner of 54 years—she would carry that tradition forward, raising eleven children of her own – eight daughters and three sons.” Fr. Fitzgerald added, “As a young woman, Anne worked in Snowcream, and it was in those early years that she met Paddy Barrett from Sexton Street. They married in St John’s Church in 1972 and began their life together, first in Slievekeale and Connolly Place, before settling in Larchville. There, their house became a home filled with love, activity and dedication, as Anne gave herself fully to family life.
“Raising eleven children brought many demands, yet Anne met them with remarkable strength, patience and resilience. In later years, she returned to work in Garrett’s and in Dunmore East, always giving generously of her time and energy.
“Her door was always open. Anne was kind, welcoming and selfless, someone who always placed family first. She found joy in life’s simple pleasures—time spent in Tramore and gathering loved ones around her table, especially for her much-loved Sunday dinners. She will be so sadly missed by all who knew her.”
In a heartfelt and light-hearted eulogy, her nephew Martin O’Regan said: “What can we say about Anne — our ‘Big Mamma,’ as we often referred to her as?
“She was a woman with the biggest heart, so full of love that you’d wonder how it ever fit inside her. Family was everything to Anne. From her childhood on the Cork Road to the life she built with Paddy, she always placed love, loyalty, and togetherness at the centre of everything she did.
“Anne met Paddy in 1971 at the Olympia Ballroom, the beginning of 55 years together. There were laughs, there were rows, and there was that ongoing debate about who got the short straw—but above all, there was a deep and lasting love that everyone could see.
“Together they raised a beautiful family, and Anne was fiercely proud of each of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. As she often said, she loved every hair on their heads.” Martin added before telling some great stories, that “Anne didn’t just care for her family—she cared for everyone. She checked in, remembered the little things, worried for others, and made sure no one ever felt alone.
“She was a counsellor, a referee, a problem-solver, and for many, a second mother. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but anyone who knew Anne knows it was she who raised the village.
“She also loved a celebration—whether there was an occasion or not. Sometimes, it was simply because it was Thursday.
“Anne lived with generosity, humour, and strength. She gave everything to those she loved. And today, we remember a remarkable woman who will be missed beyond words but loved forever. She was a matriarch and a woman who just got things done.” Sacred music was rendered at the Mass by Sarah Jane Lavery accompanied by Mark Robinson, before Anne’s coffin was carried from the church by her eight daughters to Tommy Fleming’s Goodbye My Old Friend.
Members of Shelbourne Football Club performed a guard of honour for Anne as she was brought from the church before she was laid to rest at Kilbarry Cemetery, where a heartbroken family bid a final farewell to a woman who gave so much during her life.
Predeceased by her parents, Dolly and Laurence (Cha) Moloney, brother Pat, sisters Eily, May, Josie, Kitty, Jeanette and Alice, she is survived by loving husband Paddy, sons Eoin, Shane and Patrick, daughters Mary, Jennifer, Patrice, Anne-Marie, Carrie-Anne, Carol, Katie and Jemma. daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, 23 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren, brothers Laurence and Martin, sister Betty, nephews, nieces, extended family, relatives, neighbours and friends to whom we offer our deepest and sincerest sympathies.
May she rest in peace.
