Young County Roscommon mother faced illness with ‘dignity, courage and determination’

A young County Roscommon mother who lost her brave battle with illness on Friday last lived life to the full and fought her battle with dignity, courage and determination, her funeral Mass heard today.

Nicola Murphy (nee Brennan) Gortlustia, Scramogue, and formerly Ahascragh passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family in the kind and wonderful care of the staff of Roscommon Hospice on Friday.

In her mid-forties, Nicola was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease last year. She received the MND diagnosis just four years after she had successfully fought cancer, following chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery.

Wife of former Fianna Fail councillor Joe Murphy, Nicola “would drop everything for her boys,” Fr. Eamon O’Connor told the congregation at her Funeral Mass earlier today Monday in St. Anne’s Church, Scramogue.

“Giving up was never part of her vocabulary,” said Fr. O’Connor. “When she had her mind made up nothing would stop her. She did all that she could to live life to the full, she meant everything to everyone,” he said.

Her son, Conor, told the congregation that she was the “most caring and loving mother anyone could have”.

He spoke of her great love for her family and for her job at Veolia Water.

He added that his mother had “fought this most terrible disease in the most humble brave and courageous manner”. Her will power and determination not to give up, he said, was example to all.

As her diseased progressed she still went on to achieve so much.

After her diagnosis in 2023, Conor said that they immediately decided that they would spend every minute together as a family doing everything together to make the most of the time she had left. “She soldiered on when most would have given up,” he said.

He spoke of the great work done by the Motor Neurone Disease Association and by the Roscommon Hospice palliative care teams. He thanked them all for the kindness shown to his mother and the entire family and said that they would always hold a special place in their hearts.

Concluding, Conor appealed to people to make the most of their time with family and friends.

Nicola will be forever loved and sadly missed by her husband, Joe; sons, Conor and Óisin; parents, Anne and Sean; sisters Valerie and Louise; dearest friend, Linda (Fallon); mother-in-law, Margaret, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, sisters in law, brothers in law, work colleagues at Veolia, relatives and many friends.

Following the Funeral Mass earlier today in St Anne's Church, Scramogue Nicola was laid to rest in the adjoining cemetery.