The Late Junior Browne, Dingle and late of Main Street, Castleisland, Co. Kerry.

The late Junior Browne pictured with his mother, Joan at the ordination mass of Fr. John Fitzgerald in Castleisland in July 1985. ©Photograph: John Reidy

The death has occurred of Junior Browne, (82) Dingle and late of Main Street, Castleisland, Co. Kerry.

Peacefully, on August 6th 2019, at Dingle Community Hospital.

Brother of the late John, Jean, Catherine and Mary. Sadly missed by his wife Milly, his family Niall, Laura, Sinéad, Joe, Peter and Damien, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, brothers: Billy, Ted, Declan, sister Clare, brother-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives and his many friends in Dingle and Gran Canaria.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Junior Browne and Industry in Castleisland

The late Junior Browne and industry in Castleisland will always be synonymous – it was a family thing on Limerick Road at first with Browne’s Mineral Waters and then in the early 1970s the firm’s big, bold move to Tralee Road.

Lorries were loaded there at the crack of dawn every morning at the purpose built factory and destined to deliver their cargo of crated drinks to the pub and hotel industry throughout the county and beyond.

Life-Line to Job Hunters

Browne’s Mineral Waters provided a life-line to the many summer job hunting students trying to put college fees together not to mention the local, permanent workforce it employed.

It was a time in Castleisland when Riverside Drive and Hartnett’s Garage were being built across the Tralee Road.

Down Killarney Road all the new houses at Cahernard were going up there at the time.

In between the two roads ran Castleisland’s always busy railway line and station and the Astor Ballroom was drawing crowds from this and surrounding counties to see and dance to the biggest stars available to the dance-hall industry at the time.

And there was the Astor Cinema for the quiet nights and a mineral bar and a local supplier and the community was as self sustaining as any other.

Hard to Separate

In the mind’s eye, it’s hard to separate the image of Junior Browne and his brothers, Billy and the late John in particular, from all that industry in their home town at that time. And from rugby and The Crageens and the Crown Hotel.

Though he lived away from Castleisland in more recent times, it is no surprise and entirely appropriate that he would return to rest eternally here.

May God be good to him.

Funeral Arrangements

Reposing at the residence of his sister, Clare, Limerick Road, Castleisland, Co. Kerry on Wednesday evening from 4pm to 7pm.

Followed by removal to Castleisland Parish Church. Requiem Mass on Thursday at 11am.

Burial afterwards in Kilbanivane Cemetery, Castleisland.

Family flowers only, please.

Donations to Dingle Community Hospital.

Date Published: Tuesday 6th August 2019. Date of Death: Tuesday 6th August 2019.

Contact The  Maine Valley Post on: 087 23 59 467 / jreidy@mainevalleypost.com 

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