It’s with great sadness that the people of Castlebar heard of the sudden death of Fr John Drury this week on 25 July 2005. Msgr Drury had spent a year as a curate in Castlebar Parish and had just retired and was moving to Tuam. There, though officially retired, he was planning to fill in for his fellow priests in order to let them take a break from their parish work. He was only in Castlebar for a short year but he made an extraordinary impact on all those that he came in contact with in Castlebar, especially those whom he ministered to in times of loss or sadness.

Canon Curran spoke movingly of John Drury at his removal service last night and it is obvious that his colleagues were shaken and saddened by his death. He was a youthful 70 and appeared fit and healthy and indeed was taken ill and died suddenly while playing a game of golf. His funeral Mass takes place at 11 am in Castlebar Parish Church and he will be buried afterwards in his hometown of Miltown Malbay, Clare.

Msgr Drury had served in a number of different countries in South America over a 10 year period and also for some 30 years in England: diocese of Northhampton,  East Anglia. Undoubtedly there will be many people in all these places who will remember him with great fondness just as in Castlebar where he had spent just one year.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.