Hello everyone. I'm Stephen Cassidy and I oversee the website for the
Cassidy Clan at
www.cassidyclan.org We have a message board on the
site and I encourage you to also post messages there concerning your
searches for "missing" ancestors and family roots.
I would also like to share with you the obituary (it's in English and
Irish) from a wonderful man, Sean O'Caiside, who died recently and
served as the chief of the Cassidy Clan. I hope you'll consider coming
to Ireland in August 2005 for our next Clan Rally. Details are on our
website.
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The Irish Times, September 13, 2003
HEADLINE: Teacher committed to well-being of children
Sean O Casaide, who has died aged 96, had a passion for music, a love
of the Irish language and a lifelong commitment to the education and
well-being of children.
He was born on March 16th, 1907, in Mullinroe, Co Longford, the fourth
of the 13children of John Cassidy and his wife, Elizabeth (nee Coen),
primary teachers inthe nearby Cloneen school. Growing up in turbulent
times, he witnessed the torching of Granard by the Black and Tans.
He won the King's Scholarship to St Patrick's Training College,
Drumcondra, where the writer John D. Sheridan was a close friend and
classmate. In his firstteaching post in St John's Lane in the
Liberties, his class of 90 children came to school barefoot and hungry.
From this experience stemmed his conviction that education is the key
to the alleviation of poverty. This and a clear understanding of the
enormous challenges that face the educator in deprived areas were
central to his life's work in education. He had little interest in
material comforts and sent his salary home to provide an education for
his younger siblings, after the untimelydeath of his father.
Tugadh cuireadh do i 1931 a bheith mar mhuinteoir i Scoil Naomh
Phadraig, bunscoil a bhi ceangailte le Colaiste Phadraig i nDroim
Conrach: sa bhealach sinbhi pairt aige in oiliuint mhuinteoiri. Mar
mhuinteoir og, rinne se ceimeanna H.Dip agus M.A. san oiche i gColaiste
na hOllscoile, Baile Atha Cliath. Lena dheirfiur Daisy scriobh se an
chead sraith leabhair I nGaeilge do phaisti bun scoile. Ceapadh ina
Chigire Ceoil e i 1937, agus bhi se lonnaithe i nGaillimh agus i
gCorcaigh. Mar Chigire Bunscoile, d'oibir se in Iarthair na hEireann
(1941-'55). Chaith se 10 mbliana ansin mar Chigire Ceantair agus mar
Roinnchigire i dTir Chonaill, cupla bliain ar an Chlochan Liath, agus
seacht mbliana i nGaoth Dobhair. Chuaigh se go Bhaile Atha Cliath i
1965 agus ceapadh mar Phriomhchigire Cunta e i 1969.
Nuair a d'eirigh se as an chigireacht i 1972, chaith se 10 mbliana mar
Eagarthoir Ceoil sa Ghum. Ba mhinic a deireadh Sean gurbh e ceann de na
laethanta a ba shona dena shaol, an la gur thosaigh se fein agus a
athair le cheile a fhoghlaim Gaeilge, agus e mar dheagoir sa bhaile tar
eis bunu an tSaorstait. Chuaigh Dubhglas de hIde i bhfeidhm go mor air,
agus e ina mhac leinn aige in Ollscoil na hEireann.
He had a lifelong involvement with choirs, bands and the teaching of
Irish and classical music. Under his guidance the Scoil Naomh Phadraig
tin-whistle band frequently performed on 2RN Radio. In 1935 he founded
the choir of Craobh an Cheitinnigh, Conradh na Gaeilge, in which three
of his brothers sang. He supported the work of Irish composers,
convincing the minister of education in 1936 to assist the impoverished
Carl Hardebeck with a yearly stipend of � 150.
He introduced many children to music, most famously his niece,
Geraldine O'Grady. He was enormously proud and supportive of his
musical relatives, including the O'Grady family, Frank Patterson and
Patrick Cassidy, all of whom consulted him on Irish music. In his later
years he enjoyed his role as honorarytaoiseach of the reconstituted
Cassidy Clan.
Bhailiodh Sean seanamhrain sa Ghaeltacht, o dhaoine mar Roise na
nAmhran i nArainn Mhor. Bhi se mar mholtoir sean-nois san Oireachtas ar
feadh blianta fada, mar a raibh teagmhail aige le ceoltoiri mora na
linne, cosuil le Sean O Riada agus Seosamh O hEanai. Ar theacht go
Baile Atha Cliath do sna seascaidi, ba mhor an chuis misnigh do an
"mion ghaeltacht" i Ranallach, mar a raibh moran teaglaigh le Gaeilge.
Nuair a bunaiodh an dara Gaelscoil i Ranallach i 1995, ba e Sean a
bhaist Lios na nOg uirthi.
His songs for children such as Teidi Beag Alainn, are a fitting
testimony to hisgreat fondness for the young. His talents for
composition and harmonisation wereparticularly valued by his own
family, the group Na Casaidigh. Imbued by a deep faith, he composed an
Irish Mass for the church choir which he conducted in Ranelagh for 36
years.
Cuis mhor broin a bhas da bhean cheile, a chompanach ionuin, Noirin, da
thriur inion Fionnula, Ailbhe agus Caitriona, da sheachtar mac Ruairi,
Ciaran, Feargus,Fionntan, Aongus, Odhran agus Seathrun. Cailliuint mhor
fosta da thriur dearthara mhaireann, Kevin, Martin agus Brendan.
Sean O Casaide: born March 16th, 1907; died September 3rd, 2003