Richie Moriarty

Like every other member of my family I sit here numb and dazed,still in shock,denial and disbelief.
Richie Moriarty was not only my Uncle,but a dear friend and someone who would light up even the darkest of days with a quick one-liner,or a joke..even a smile from him would make you feel good.
Even in his last hours Richie's amazing personality was working as normal,as he flirted with the nurses and joked with the doctors who treated him at the hospital.
When he was a teenager,Richie was a fantastic athlete and a superb boxer. He won many accolades in the ring and was among the best boxers in the country at that time.
Richie moved to England in his teens,where he spent the last 40 years, He married Elaine and had two sons,Ricky and Simon,both of whom he was proud of.
He became a part of the ex-patriots known as 'Little Urlingford', an affectionate name given to the group of people that left home and settled in the same part of London.
He never ever forgot where he came from,and returned as often as he could to see his parents and family. He had 3 sisters,Maureen,Agnes and Eileen, and 8 brothers,John,Paddy,Neddy,Batty,Thomas, Kevin, Jody and Michael. A big family that remained close despite the miles between them.
Richies love of Tipperary hurling often saw him make an 'unscheduled' visit home to see the boys in the blue and gold and to savour the atmosphere created by the love of G.A.A on the borders of Tipperary and Kilkenny. He was particularly proud of the success of his brothers John and Kevin who both represented the family at inter-county level.
Knowing that Richie was coming home was almost a guarantee that good times were coming,there was never a dull moment with him and his power to raise your spirits and lift you up was unbelieveable.
Richies popularity in London and Ireland was perfectly evident given the masses of people who turned up at his services to pay tribute to their dear friend,The many cards of sympathy,the floral tributes and the crowds who braved the bad weather to say a final goodbye in Fennor Cemetary.
There is now a big black hole in our world,where Richie used to be,a hole that will never be filled and as we go on with our lives we will always wonder what it would be like if Richie was here now. No doubt his wit,comedy and ability to laugh at the most hopeless situation would easily dry our tears and fill the hole in our world.
Thank you Richie,for being an amazing Uncle and friend. We miss you so much,and we will never ever forget you and the impact you had on our lives.
God bless you x x x x