The death has occurred of Susan ‘Susie’ Cox, Spanish Point, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare.
Deeply regretted by her sisters Anne and Eileen, her niece Alice, nephew Liam, other family members and a wide circle of friends.
Autumnal Harbingers of Joy….
Much like the swallows in early summer, Susie Cox and her equals from Clare and elsewhere, rapidly became autumnal harbingers of joy, good music, song and times in Castleisland soon after the establishment of the Patrick O’Keeffe Traditional Music Festival here in October of 1993.
Their arrival in town early on the Fridays of festival weekends meant that it was time to throw caution to the wind and go, with all sails aloft, into the teeth of whatever the weekend had in store for us.
Interest and Respect for the Music
She had a huge interest in and respect for the music of Sliabh Luachra as well as that of her own culture rich patch around Miltown Malbay.
Born in England to a Clare mom of the famous, Casey musical family and a Co. Roscommon dad, Susie, a retired teacher in Spanish Point, brought her musical leanings from her mom’s side and her family connections to the famous local fiddler Bobby Casey and further back from the 1884 born Thady Casey a multi instrumentalist most famous in Clare as a dancer and dance teacher.
Customary Greetings
On arrival in Castleisland, and with her customary greetings, delivered with hugs and kisses out of the way, it would be time to get down to catching up with all the news of recent sessions in Miltown Malbay and with who’s playing well with whom.
A forensic perusal of the weekend’s sessions in the festival programme would follow as she picked out sessions to suit her, her concertina and a song or two.
After those first couple of years and the habits she gave us, the weekend wouldn’t be the same without hearing her rendition of her favourite song:
The Bold Fenian Men / Down by the Glenside
It was down by the glenside, I met an old woman
A-picking young nettles, and she ne’er saw me coming
I listened a while to the song she was humming
Glory-O, Glory-O, to the bold Fenian men
It’s fifty long years since I saw the moon beamin’
On strong manly forms, and eyes with hope gleaming
I see them again, in all my sad dreaming
Glory-O, Glory-O, to the bold Fenian men.
When I was a young girl, their marchin’ and drilling’
Awoke in the glenside sounds awesome and thrillin’
They loved dear old Ireland, and to die they were willing
Glory-O, Glory-O, to the bold Fenian men.
Some died by the glenside, some died near a stranger
And wise men have told us their cause was a failure
They loved dear old Ireland, they never feared danger
Glory-O, Glory-O, to the bold Fenian men
I went on my way, God be praised that I met her
Be life long or short, sure I’ll never forget her
We may have good men, but we’ll never have better
Glory-O, Glory-O, to the bold Fenian men.
Glory-O, Glory-O to the bold Susie Cox. May God be good to her.
Susie’s Funeral Arrangements
Reposing at Queally’s Funeral Parlour, Miltown Malbay on Friday, June 24th. from 6pm.
Removal to St. Joseph’s Church, Miltown Malbay at 8pm. Funeral Mass at 11am on Saturday, June 25th followed by burial in Quilty.
Funeral mass can be viewed on miltownmalbayparish.ie
Family flowers only, donations in lieu to Milford Hospice or the Irish Cancer Society.
May she rest in peace.
Date Published: Wednesday 22nd June 2022. Date of Death: Monday 20th June 2022.
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