Obituary: Michael John Cummins was a wonderful family man whose motto in life was happiness
The late John Michael Cummins
MICHAEL John Cummins, Cricklewood, London and formerly of Castlemarket, Attanagh, Portlaoise and Lowhill, Attanagh, Kilkenny died peacefully in his adopted city on 17 November.
A loving husband, dad, grandad, brother, son, uncle and dear friend, he was predeceased by his parents John and Ellen (née Nolan) Cummins.
The sixth of 11 children, John was born in Lowhill on 1 September 1938 following the family’s return to Ireland from New York in July 1934.
They later moved to Castlemarket just before Easter 1941.
John was affectionately known as Jack to the family and Jackie to the locals.
His primary education was in Ballyouskill NS, followed by the Christian Brothers secondary school in Abbleyleix.
After his schooling, John began an apprenticeship in what was then the Creamery in Ballyragget.
It was always a great joy to be in John's company.
A great Kilkenny man, he loved hurling, music, family and friends. Happiness was his main aim and motto for life. He particularly loved music and was a great accordion player.
The Cummins children’s music self-education began with John’s eldest brother Laurence making music on a comb with a piece of paper. The next year it was the mouth organ.
Kieran and John both played the accordion. Kieran was first to learn the instrument, John was next and both were self-taught.
John was given an old melodeon (a small accordion) by a gentleman called Martin Bergin, with whom he worked in the Creamery in Ballyragget. The melodeon was a battered old thing that was held together with Sellotape.
Commenting on the state of the musical instrument, a neighbour called Jack Fogarty said: “That melodeon could do with an overcoat, there are that many holes in it”. However, John was not to be dissuaded and persevered.
He and Kieran asked their mother to buy them an accordion, but unconvinced that this would be money well spent, she declined.
John then decided to invest himself and bought a button accordion from Cotts of Kilcock.
It cost £12 and was bought on the ‘never never’, paid off at the rate of half-a-crown a week (about 16 cents in today’s money).
The accordion still survives to this day.
Sometime later, John invested in a new accordion and made a present of his first to Mrs Holohan, the woman he boarded with in Tullamore from 1958 to 1960.
Mrs Holohan bequeathed the instument to her niece Mary Cassin, who still has it.
After emigrating to London in 1960, John and his brother Kieran regularly played their accordions at gigs in pubs around the city.
He worked in the construction industry for most of his working life.
It would also be where he would meet and marry his wife and friend for life May Ward, a native of Mohill, Co Leitrim.
The couple wed on 11 March 1967 and went on to have two children – Colette and David.
John and May loved dancing and the couple were a sight to behold on the dance floor.
John is deeply regretted and sadly missed by his loving wife May, his daughter Colette, son David and grandchildren Hayley, Jordan, Ethan, Kyle, Brogan and Shai; daughter-in-law, Karen Cummins and son-in-law Philip Bergin.
He is survived by brothers Kieran and Joe, London and sisters Teresa McGuinness, Kilkenny city, Kathleen Gallagher, Ann O’Connor and Cecilia O’Donnell – all London, brothers in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, extended family and many friends from Ireland and the UK, particularly his lifelong friend Jimmy Willis from Cork.
John was predeceased by his brother Laurence, his sisters Mary Kane, Ballinalacken, Ballyragget, Eileen Conway, Kilwarden, Kill and Julia Manning, Knocknew, Ballyfoyle; his nephews Martin Kane, Ballinalacken, Ballyragget and Gerard Cummins, London and his niece Frances McGuinness Hennessy, Friary St, Kilkenny city and The Commons, Gowran.
John’s wake took place at John Nodes Funeral Directors in Cricklewood.
His Requiem Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday 10 December, at the Roman Catholic Church of St Agnes, 35 Cricklewood Lane, London NW2 1HR at 11am, followed by burial in Hendon Cemetery.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis. Inár gcroíthe go deo.
