Catherine Earley
(née Keehan)

Dear William, Miriam, Rachel and Steve,
We grieve with you all from far off Sydney.
The service for your beloved Catherine was poignant, eloquent and refreshingly Irish.
She was a tour de force, a loyal friend, an inspiring intellectual, socially generous and at times downright scary.
Her best moment for us was during a visit to Dublin.
Her pudding had been fed monthly with brandy prior to serving on Christmas Day.
As it was lit, the mistletoe caught fire and the pudding exploded.
It was the only time I ever saw Catherine lose her composure in the kitchen.
Thank you you for sharing her with us and may you cherish her memories as we do.

Dear William, Miriam, Rachel and Steve,
I sympathise with you most sincerely on the death of your beloved Catherine.
I shall remember her zest for life and living it to the full.
I shall miss that potent glance above her glasses when you knew that whatever you had just expounded was about to be challenged.
May her generous and giving spirit rest in peace.

Dear William, Miriam, Rachel and Steve, I am so sorry for your loss.

I have such fond memories of Catherine in the 80’s when the family lived in Barnes. Catherine was a kind, generous, assertive and intelligent woman.

When I heard the news of her passing I was very sad for you William, Miriam, Rachel and Steve - in these situations one can’t even grasp what you have been through.

My deepest sympathy for all of you

Jorge

Deepest condolences to Catherine's family and friends on her unexpected passing, on behalf of the entire Educate Together network. A strong and engaging woman who was so generous with her time - she made a huge contribution to Educate Together and to the wider community and voluntary sector over a number of years. Her energetic and positive presence will be sorely missed by many.

Sincere sympathy and condolences on the passing of Catherine RIP to William and Miriam , Rachel and Steve.

Dear William, I was so shocked to hear of Catherine’s recent death.She was always a vibrant and committed person in everything she undertook.
Please accept my sincere condolences on your sad and untimely loss

Deepest sympathy to William, Miriam, Rachel and Steve.
I'm sorry I couldn't attend Catherine's funeral as I was out of the country. May she rest in peace!

William, I was so very sorry to hear of your loss..I remember very well meeting you and Catherine by chance in Nice and previously in Bilbao as we were on our travels. It was a pleasure to meet her in such happy times. Best wishes Maura Connolly

Hi William

I am so sorry to hear of your loss of your beloved Catherine. I remember her keeping you on the straight and narrow when you were prone to work all night! ❤️

To William and family and to Geraldine, my sincere condolences on your great loss of Catherine. May she rest in peace. My thoughts and prayers are with you all at this sad time.

Dearest William and Family.
It is with great shock and sadness that we have just heard of the passing of your beloved Catherine.
Catherine was an inspiration to all who crossed her path. She was kind, caring and her zest for life was contagious. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
We have fond memories of the great neighbours you were on Sorrento Road.
Our deepest condolences to you, William and all the family. May she rest in peace.

I was so sorry to hear the sad and unexpected news of Catherine's death. She was such a vital and encouraging presence in the school community at the Dalkey School Project when Miriam, Rachel and Steve were pupils and for many years after. My sincere sympathy to you William and to all the family.

My condolences to the Earley family on Catherine’s death. It is over half a century since we first met through the Saint Vincent dePaul’s Youth Council. Happy memories!
I am sure she leaves many such memories in the hearts of all who knew her and will be sorely missed.

William my thoughts are with you at this difficult time

Catherine's unexpected death has left a huge void in all our lives - my sincerest sympathy to William, Miriam, Rachel, Steve and families. Yesterday's uplifting service in Mount Jerome celebrating her life went some way to consoling us. Catherine's influence on so many areas of Irish life will never be forgotten. She generously shared her experience and expertise on a voluntary basis with numerous individuals and organisations - Dalkey School Project; Educate Together, Citizens' Advice, Fighting Words - the list is endless. She was an inspiration to all who knew her. Our weekly walks to the end of Dun Laoghaire pier were an opportunity to discuss national and international challenges and to solve the problems of the world! I will miss her terribly - but will walk every Tuesday morning as usual to the end of the pier and I know she will be with me in spirit.

Dear William, I was very shocked to hear of Catherine’s passing last week. My deepest sympathies to you and to Miriam, Rachel and Steve and all your family.
Catherine was a wonderful woman. A long time supporter of Educate Together and an advocate for progressive social policy in Ireland. Always straightforward, well researched and clear in her opinions, she played an important role in the early years of the Board of Directors of Educate Together. She also readily volunteered to assist the boards of a number of new Educate Together schools over many years. In particular, she made a crucial contribution in the drafting and editing of a number of central explanatory documents which have been been so important for the organisation in the last twenty years.
I’m sorry I was not able to attend the memorial but I can assure you of the best wishes, sympathy and support of all who had the privilege to work with her.
May she rest in peace.

My deepest condolences to the Earley family.

I first got to know Catherine as a colleague in Comhairle, now the Citizens Information Board, where we bonded over our mutual interest in social policy, social justice, modern art and glasses of wine. I saw her infrequently after that, but when we did meet I enjoyed her entertaining and forceful presence, her open mind and deep care for other people.

My sincere sympathy to William, Miriam, Rach and Steve, following Catherine’s passing. I have many memories of Catherine ….. during my early years in Educate Together. There was never a dull moment when Catherine was present.
Rest in Peace, Catherine.

Dear William,

My sincere condolences on the death of Catherine, time certainly passes with great speed. My prayers are with you and all the family,

Anne ( UCD 1967-72)

On behalf of all the Clancys from across the road in Tivoli Close, we send you our deepest condolences on the passing of Catherine. All of us fondly remember many long years of neighborhood shenanigans, babysitting, endless cups of tea and chats. With sincere sympathy to William, Miriam, Rachel, Stephen and families, from John, Conor, Sheila, Emer & Eoin (and Paul who passed 8 years ago). xoxo

Dear William, Miriam, Rach and Steve, our deepest condolences on Catherine's passing.

I have such strong memories of my teenage years in Avondale, of warmth, laughter, love, parties, acceptance, education, art and fun!
I would also like to acknowledge Catherine
for the best paté around! The gift that kept on giving!

She will live on through you all.
Keep each other close.

Fly high Catherine ❤️

Deepest sympathy to William, Miriam, Rachel, Stephen and family on the untimely passing of Catherine.Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this very sad time.
Angela, Aubrey, Lucinda and Aubrey

I'm so sorry for your loss. Sending big love.

Catherine and my Nora were having their babies around the same time in Hollis St and both William and I opted to be present at the births. Hospital policy was about to change to allow for this but not quite in time. The nearest we got was a lecture theatre full of pregnant women with us two men in the smallest minority we've ever been in then or since. I think Catherine, if she ever reflected back on it in the course of her advancing women's rights , would have had a chuckle.

I don't think I met Catherine in person since then but I was very aware of her work in the NESC, for which I had responsibility in the Department of Finance.

I have just watched her farewell party in Mount Jerome and can reassure her that she got some send-off. I “officiated” at a similar send-off for Nora last August and was very touched by yere tributes to Catherine today and by the dignity of the ceremony.

My sympathies, William, to you and to Miriam, Rachel, and Steve – all of you spoke so beautifully.

May she rest in peace.

Dear William, Miriam, Rachel and Stephen, your loss is heartbreaking, as is our own.Catherine has been many things to many people, and would count her friendships high on the list. No-one was ever forgotten. Catherine has been such a powerful force in our lives since we first arrived in Dublin 27 years ago. When she heard I worked from home and had no friends yet, she said: "well this is the Catherine Earley way"--and took care of it. We started the Book Club. This has brought all of us, all the group, endless joy. We will miss her enormously. Please accept our hearfelt sympathies.

William I am so sorry for the loss of your dear Catherine. She was always warm and kind, engaging and full of fun. She will be so sadly missed by all the family. May her wonderful spirit live on forever in your hearts. Carol Fawsitt

William and family, So sorry to hear of your loss. Please accept our deepest sympathies on the passing of Catherine.

Our sincerest condolences to the Earley family at the sad passing of Catherine. Our thoughts are with you at this difficult time.

Dear William and family,

We are very sorry to hear of Catherine's passing and we would like to offer you our deepest sympathy at this very sad time.

Michael and Rose

William, we fondly remember Catherine on this extremely sad occasion for you and all your family.
Please accept our deepest sympathy and regret.
Colm and Freda Swords

To William and all the family, please accept my deepest sympathies on the death of Catherine. Catherine was my close friend in our days in UCD Social Science (1967-70). Catherine was so full of brightness, energy and empathy. The memory of my friendship with Catherine is something I will always value. My thoughts are with you at this very, very sad time.

So very sorry to hear of Catherine's untimely passing - sincere sympathies to all her family.

Geralyn McGarry

Our thoughts and prayers are with you William ( and family) on the sad passing of Catherine. Paul & Mary

Dear William, Miriam, Rachel and Stephen.
Please accept our sincere condolences on your great loss. Catherine was such a vibrant personality, always ready for a chat and wanting updates on the family. She will be missed by so many.
Patty and Brian

Sincere sympathy to you William and all your family. May Catherine rest in peace.

Deepest symptoms to the Earley family, she will be fondly remembered by the Comerford family of Sorrento Road

My sincerest condolences to William and family on the death of Catherine. May she Rest In Peace.

Sincere condolences on the death of your beloved Catherine, William, and to all your family.

Cordialment,

Shocked to hear of Catherine’s illness and death. I knew her in UCD in the 1960s- a strong personality. Sympathies to her family and many friends on your loss. Patricia/Pat OConnor

My deepest sympathies to you William and your family on Catherine’s passing. May she rest in peace.

William

Our sincere sympathies on your loss. Catherine was a formidable woman who had a great interest in social issues. She was, we know, a soulmate and adviser to you and we know you will miss her greatly. May she rest in peace.

Francis and Joanne

Dear William and family - I am so sorry to learn of Catherine's death. May she rest in peace.

William, Miriam, Rachel and Steve
Our profound sympathy to each of you. Your loss is immeasureable and both Mike and I are so shocked and saddened by Catherine's sudden leaving. We are both privileged to have known her and had such fun on your terrassee as recently as June. What a lovely way to remember Catherine.
Our hearts are with you.

Please accept my condolences on the death of Catherine. I am sorry for your loss.
The Earley house was welcoming and full of fun and laughter. Entertaining never fazed Catherine.
Best holiday in London was when we were given a loan of your home there. The house,car full of petrol, fridge and freezer full to the brim were put at our disposal Easter 1990. True to form Catherine neatly typed an itinerary for us, complete with map, times,and cost. It was brilliant. We did not even have to think.
May she rest in peace.

Aileen Forbes Byrne.

Cher William,

C'est avec une grande tristesse que je viens d'apprendre le décès soudain de votre Catherine.

Je vous présente mes sincères condoléances.

Catherine était une force de la nature, si chaleureuse, intelligente et joyeuse. Un vrai rayon de soleil.

Je suis de tout cœur avec vous et votre famille pendant cette terrible épreuve.

Avec toute mon amitié,
Anne

With sadness I learned of Catherine's passing; a fortright lady who said it as she saw it. A void that can only be filled with happy memories. Condolances to William, Miriam, Rachel, Steve and Geraldine and families.

Sincere condolences to William and family on the death of Catherine. Fond memories. May she rest in peace.

Dear William and family, heartfelt condolences to you all on the passing of Catherine. Her vibrant, caring personality has touched and influenced so many. Sinceret sympathy.

William

So sorry to hear of the death of your beloved wife, Catherine.

We loved Catherine. Her enthusiasm for life and general positivity were infectious. Our hearts go out to William, Miriam, Rachel, and Steve. May she rest in the gentle peace she well deserves.

William,
My sincerest condolence to you and your family on the death of Catherine.
May she rest in peace.
I remember good times with both of you at UCD in the late sixties.

William, Miriam, Rachel & Steve, we are so sad to hear the news about Catherine. We feel very lucky that we got to spend a lovely evening together earlier this year. We have fond memories of time spent together in Callery Road. Keeping you in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. May Catherine Rest in Peace

Dearest William and Family we are so sorry to hear of Catherine’s passing RIP. We will be thinking you all at this very sad time . May God give you the strength to get you through this difficult time in your lives . Donal and Moulton nee Keegan

Dear William and family. I was very sorry to hear that your beloved Catherine has passed on.May she rest in peace.Sending heartfelt sympathy to you during these saddest of days.Annette.

Sincere condolences to William, Miriam, Rachel & Steve & also to Geraldine on the very sad passing of Catherine. May she Rest in Peace.

Deepest sympathy to William and all the Earley family, so very sad to hear of your loss. May dear Catherine rest in peace.

Deepest sympathies to you, William, and your lovely family on the loss of your beloved Catherine.

Sincere condolences to William Miriam Rachel Stephen and Geraldine on very sad loss. Rest in Peace Catherine

I was shocked to learn of Catherine’s short illness and untimely death. My sincere condolences to William, Miriam, Rachel and Steve and their families and to Catherine’s sister Geraldine. May you all be supported and comforted by family, friends and neighbours at this sad time. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dílis.

Heartfelt condolences to William and family on the passing of Catherine.