Late Ms Helen Kerins ‘a librarian to her fingertips’
The late Helen Kerins.
Glowing tributes have been paid to the late Helen Kerins, a woman described as “a librarian to her fingertips”, “the heartbeat of Strokestown Library” and “a beacon of light throughout the region”.
“A real people person,” she found her true calling working in the library service especially in her beloved Strokestown.
Helen, from Church Street, Strokestown, passed away on Thursday last, peacefully, in the wonderful care of the staff of Roscommon Hospice, surrounded by her loving family.
Dearly loved daughter of Teresa and the late Donal and cherished sister of Rosita, Anne, and Sheila. Helen will be very sadly missed by her mother, sisters, brothers-in-law, Leo and Tom, nieces and nephews, Aine, Enda, Eoin, Thomas, and Roisin, aunt Rose (USA), uncle Pete (Mullingar), wide circle of relatives, neighbours and friends.
Helen will repose at the family home, Church Street, Strokestown (F42 AK13), today, Sunday, October 11th, from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m.. Mass of Christian burial in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Strokestown, on Monday, October 12th, at 11 a.m.. Burial afterwards in Kilcooley Cemetery, Tulsk.
Her Roscommon County Council colleagues said that the “much-loved librarian” held a special place in the community and will be greatly missed by her colleagues and all who knew her through the library.
In a tribute to her Strokestown Tidy Towns noted: “Some people do not merely live in a town; they become part of its very architecture, woven into its heart. Helen was one such soul—the gentle, abiding personification of what it truly means to be a lady. Graceful, welcoming, and endlessly kind, she carried a quiet warmth that left every room, and every life, better than she found it.
“For years, Helen was the heartbeat of library. In an time where quiet books can sometimes feel distant, Helen transformed the library into a living room for the whole community. It became a vibrant, safe, and deeply social sanctuary. It did not matter whether you were a young child discovering your first story, a student seeking a quiet corner, or a mature visitor looking for a friendly chat—everyone belonged. Regardless of age, background, or ability, Helen made sure every person felt seen, valued, and embraced.
“Her care for Strokestown was intimate and physically rooted in the soil itself. One of only two families in the town who took it upon themselves to lovingly tend and nurture the trees outside their house—a quiet, beautiful gesture that anchored their place in Strokestown and made the street truly feel like home.
“The family name carries deep weight in the recent history of Strokestown. Though years have passed since the doors of the family shop and bar closed, the spirit of that threshold never truly vanished. The laughter, the camaraderie, and the stories history forged within those walls continue to echo through the town today. Helen carried that legacy forward with every word and gesture.
“Helen’s passing is a profound loss—a grief that touches every street, every bookshelf, and every hearth in Strokestown. Hers was a life of understated elegance and devotion, leaving behind a legacy of tenderness that will transcend generations.
"She will be missed beyond measure, but remembered wherever warmth, stories, and kindness endure.”
Other tributes have described as “a beautiful lady who dedicated so much of her life to the local community and “a warm, caring, and gentle personality” who will be missed in the community and afar.
