'A ray of light at the club' - Community pays tribute to beloved Laois man

Tributes have poured in following the death of popular Portlaoise man, John Meehan. 

John, from Newpark in Portlaoise, sadly passed away surrounded by his family after a long illness on Tuesday, March 3.

John was the son of the late Jimmy and Mollie Meehan. His wife, Mary, passed away in 2017. John had three children, Eoin, Elaine and Clare, as well as five grandchildren. 

Since his passing, there has been a huge outpouring of tributes from the community to the beloved father and grandfather.

John worked for Eircom and he was also the former Director of People First Credit Union in Portlaoise.

People First Credit Union were among the many tributes paid to the Portlaoise man online.

In a heartfelt social media post, the credit union said: "It is with deep sadness that we learnt of the passing of John Meehan, a valued former Director of People First Credit Union.

"John served with us during our time as Portlaoise Credit Union and continued his dedication to our members and community through our transition to People First Credit Union.

"His commitment, integrity and strong sense of community helped shape our organisation, and we are sincerely grateful for his many years of voluntary service and leadership."

John was a valued member of his local community in Portlaoise, and a dedicated supporter and life-long member of Portlaoise AFC.

The club have also shared their respects and admiration for John, saying he was "a ray of light at the club."

Portlaoise AFC said that John had a long history with the club and was part of the committee in the 1970s. He later returned to help govern the club in recent years. 

The club said: "He was the ultimate supporter, from washing and drying jerseys in the early days with the help of his beloved wife Mary, to going above and beyond when it came to supporting club initiatives.

"He was an integral part of our fundraising group; he initiated the first last man standing competition in 2020 and in recent times worked tirelessly to help with the Club Lotto each week.

"John loved the club, and all at the club loved him."

John will be reposing in Keegan's Funeral Home in Portlaoise from 5.30pm to 8pm this Thursday, March 5. Removal will also take place on Thursday evening at 8pm to St Peter and Paul's Church for funeral prayers.

Requiem mass will take place at 11am on Friday, March 6, with burial afterwards in St Peter and Paul's Cemetery.