Made her community a better place for everyone

RUTH ANDERSON : RUTH ANDERSON was an ordinary woman who spent her life making her home community of Newbliss, Co Monaghan, a…

RUTH ANDERSON: RUTH ANDERSON was an ordinary woman who spent her life making her home community of Newbliss, Co Monaghan, a better place.

This was not a conscious decision: it was what she instinctively did. She was never an officer of any local organisation. But anything that was going on, she was part of. She rolled her sleeves up and joined in doing what needed to be done. And cheered up and chivvied on the others involved.

She did the day-to-day things that do not make news stories, but make a community. Every community in Ireland needs people like her; not all are lucky enough to have one.

In personal dealings she treated everybody the same, whatever their creed, class or ethnic background. By force of personality she became one of Newbliss’s best-known residents. She was known for the right reasons – as a kind person, who did what she could to help. She was a byword for being a helpful neighbour – and she did not need to be asked to help in time of need.

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Her family combined involvement in three great Ulster traditions: Presbyterianism, pipe bands and the GAA.

All were part of her life; this combination is still, unfortunately, not common enough.

Ruth was born on February 10th, 1942, at Derryvalley, outside Ballybay in Monaghan.

She was the fifth of seven children to George McCullagh and his wife Daisy (née Allister). George worked for the Forestry Commission (the predecessor of Coillte).

His big love was music. He was a piper, who played in Drumate Band. Thus Ruth grew up in a house full of music. George trained bands all over Co Monaghan. He was also an enthusiastic supporter of the Killeevan GAA club.

Ruth inherited that link to the GAA, and was involved in promoting the Killeevan club’s lotto. Her ability to cross so many boundaries – without thinking of it – made her popular. It meant her funeral was one of the largest in the area in years: and one of the most representative of the whole community.

Ruth is survived by her husband, Derek, her daughters Nicola and Carol, her three sisters and three brothers.


Ruth Anderson: born, February 10th, 1942; died October 15th, 2011