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Julia McGinn – 10.3.11

By Kristina Thu 10th Mar

Julia McGinn

10th March, 2011 – The Committee and members of St. Enda’s extends its deepest sympathy to the McGinn family on the death of Julia. She will be greatly missed. Funeral Mass will be held in the Sacred Heart Church on Sunday at 12.30pm.

The following Obituary appeared in the Ulster Herald on the 7th April, 2011.

JULIA McGinn (nee Taggart) was born on the June 1, 1943, the youngest of five children of John and Sarah Taggart, and lived at 8 George’s Street, Omagh.

At the age of three, Julia’s mother died unexpectedly and, later, her father John remarried. Her stepmother, Margaret Taggart (nee McGee), was to form a long lasting and caring relationship with Julia. Her earliest and happiest childhood memories centred on life in George’s Street where a mixture of gaelic football, cattle dealing, music and house to house ‘céilidhing’ shaped Julia’s subsequent interests in life.

After attending the Loreto Primary School, Julia moved to the Girls Convent Grammar and then to Strabane College from where she was able to gain entry to Loughry College, in 1961, to study Dairy and Agriculture. In 1963, Julia began her training as a General Nurse in the Tyrone County Hospital and, after a short spell working in Glasgow, returned to work in Omagh, later training as a Psychiatric Nurse in the Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital. It was during these formative years as a nurse that Julia met Augustine McGinn, marrying in 1968 and settling in Gardenville Avenue, Omagh.

The couple had five children; Brendan, Barry, Tony, Bronagh and Rachael and it came as no surprise that Julia fostered within them all a love of the arts. Julia and the family were regular participants in gaelic football, the West Tyrone Feis and fleadhs and she was at her most proud when supporting and encouraging her children at their chosen disciplines. In later years, Julia was to turn this focus to her grandchildren upon whom she devoted much time to.

After almost 25 years as a nurse, Julia retired only to turn attention to her many other interests. She dedicated time to the running of the Irish Traditional competitions at the local feis, actively supported the development of Tara House, from which she gained many friendships and much solace, was a volunteer forCare for Cancer and the Omagh Area Women’s Network in the town.

Julia was also a loyal activist in the campaign to save the Omagh hospital, and fulfilled a lifetime ambition to become a dancing teacher, along with her close friend Imelda McGuigan. She taught dancing far and wide and was particularly successful at encouraging the ‘non-dancer’ to participate and enjoy the many benefits of this pastime. Again, Julia made many good friends along this journey and it became a way of life for her. In her final 12 months, her illness impacted on her ability to engage in any community work and she withdrew gradually from her many commitments.

Julia died peacefully, on March 11 2011, surrounded by her family, having faced death with great humility and openness. Julia was a tremendous mother whose mothering extended way beyond her family. She was a woman of deep spirituality and faith and a true friend of people from all communities and denominations.

Julia will be fondly remembered by all as a warm and fun loving person who remained positive throughout her life and saw only the good in every person she met.

By Kristina Thu 10th Mar

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