Family background and Parents Kevin Mc Connell was born in 1924 and raised in Mitchelstown, Castletown K.P., in north Meath. His father -Ownie Mc Connell, (1886 – 1959) was the only child of Ownie snr. who had moved from Meath Hill with his infant son after the early death of his wife. He left two brothers and a sister in Meath Hill. Ownie snr. came as a “herd” for McKeveer in Mitchelstown and lived in a cottage in the graveyard. Ownie jnr. met Rose Hoey (1889-1958) from Grangegeath and married. They moved in to the family cottage in Mitchelstown where all the family were born. Rose’s sister married Jack Murtagh in Fringestown and another sister married Hoey in neighbouring Carnacop. This lady died in childbirth and her remaining children (Kevin’s cousins) were John, Essmy, Maggie, Paddy, Martin and Rose. Kevin frequently visited his cousins in Carnacop.
Growing-up years Kevin started school with three other members of his family- Mary, Brendan (his twin) and James. They all went barefoot to school in Summer time, where Master Farrelly (Wilkinstown) and his sister thaught school in Castletown. Later Mary went to the Technical College in Nobber. The family totalled eleven – Eugene (1916-1978), John (1917 -2008), Patrick (1919-1947), Michael (1921 -2006 ), Mary ( 1922 -2008 ), James (1923 – 1996), Kevin (1924 - 2009), Brendan (1924 - ) William (1927 – 1992 ), Dermot (1928 – 1944 ), Richard (1930 - ). John and Michael emigrated to England, and Brendan and James went to Canada. Life was tough for families in these early years of Kevin’s life and in particular during the “Economic war” of 1932. This time was very hard for small farmers and farm workers who would try to own a small piece of land and rear a few cattle. The new Government of Fianna Fail preferred payments to kill off the calves rather than have them sold to England. This further heightened the animosity that Cumann na Gael followers had for DeValera, and his Fianna Fail party. Ownie supported Cumman na Gael -the founding party of the Free State, and was a supporter of Griffith and Collins.
Kevin’s 6 th class essay 1938.
After his school days were over at 14 years of age Kevin went to work for Johnnie McKeveer - first in Carnacop and later in Clooney when Johnnie inherited 300 acres from an uncle. Kevin was in the Local Defence Force during World War Two. In large flat fields in Carnacop they would place railway sleepers to deter German planes from landing on McKeveer’s land. Drilling and military exercises were also part of the preparations for possible involvement in the war. During the forties there were some sad events in the Mc Connell household with the deaths of Dermot at the age of fifteen and Patrick at the age of twenty-seven from Tuberculosis. Patrick was a colourful character with his involvement in illegally transporting goods across the border during the war years and with his poetry during his illness times. Tuberculoses ravaged many local families and was a serious concern for large families in small cramped housing conditions - as was the lot of nearly all Catholic families in Ireland at that time. However sports, and in particular Gaelic games, helped keep the spirits up of local rural communities. Kevin with his brothers and all local young men would gather at fields, at Stokes Cross and Mitchelstown, to
play football on bright evenings every week, using make-shift goal posts. Over thirty players would play until darkness prohibited it, and this was where his passion for football was born. These impromptu gatherings would continue into the early nineteen seventies until more organised training sessions took over.
View from Carnacop hill looking East towards Fringestown.
Sporting Life In the early 1940’s Kevin played minor football for his county - Meath. He also got games with the senior team but did not become a regular until 1945. He travelled with Joe Curran (a stalwart of Meath G.A.A) to training in Navan. With Castletown Kevin won the Intermediate Championship in 1946. However two years later the club disbanded (“disagreement on selecting old fellows against playing the youth”). Willie Mc Connell went to kilmainhamwood. John Donegan and others went to Rathkenny and Kevin, Willie Smith and others went to Syddan. They won the Meath senior championship with Syddan in 1949, 51 and 52. Kevin won All-Ireland medals with Meath in 1949 and 1954.
Kevin clearing the danger in Meath’s first “All-Ireland” senior c/ship win.
He also won 5 Leinster medals, 2 national leagues, 4 railway cup medals. He played twice with All-Ireland selections against the colleges – the equivalent then of the All Stars. He was on the losing side in All-Ireland finals in 1951 and 1952. He was left full back of the celebrated fullback line with Paddy O’Brien and Michael O’Brien. Kevin also made a major contribution to the G.A.A. at administration level – “been on committees since he was 16” with numerous seasons as chairman, County Board delegate and selector of Castletown G.F.C. He was a selector for the Meath team for up to 10 years, including for their “All-Ireland” win in 1967 and their historic trip to Australia in 1968. He had an extraordinary talent for picking teams and for finding the best players for the different positions. Kevin also sometimes refereed matches, and in a local derby he took the unusual approach of “letting
them get on with it” when a mini riot broke out on the field. As both teams realised there was little interest shown in their fighting, they were soon ready to resume playing football and then Kevin continued the game. Kevin was inducted in to Meath G.A.A. “Hall of Fame” in 1990, with his “full backline” friends- Michael and Paddy O’Brien.
Married Life In 1952 Kevin married Theresa Clare from Davidstown in Syddan. Theresa was also from a family of 11. Her brothers Frank, George (played at corner back when Kevin was on honeymoon), Kevin and later Myles played for Meath. They were nephews of the great Bill Dillon who played for Meath and held a record of scoring 5 “fiftys” in the one game in Croke Park. Theresa’s mother was a sister of the maternal grandmothers of the Mc Entee and O Connell footballing clans. Kevin and Theresa moved to a cottage in Headstown, after they were married in 1952. This was rented from Matty Harlin for 3 schillings/week, and 3 schillings/week for grass for a cow. Kevin’s wages at that time were £4 .19 schillings and 6 pence for a six and a half day week. In 1958 they moved, with now 4 children (Kevin jnr., Phyllis, Patrick and Michael as a 3 month old baby.), to Mrs Mc Entee’s cottage in Fringestown. Prior to this move they had bought 12 acres from Johnnie Weldon (at the crossroad) for £1,700. Also in 1958 they bought
10 acres from Paddy McGovern – the field in front of Mrs Mc Entees. Of course this money had to be borrowed from the Bank and it took a lot of soul searching and courage to take on loans of this size with low earnings. Kevin was typical of farm workers in that he had twenty cattle of his own on leased land and also paying for grass on relation’s farms. Another feature of striving for improvement was the financial support from family and relatives when land or businesses were been purchased. All elements helped provide collateral for the loans and show the bank manager that he had the enterprise to succeed in his ventures. Kevin left the employment of the McKeevers to organise and sell pools for Gael Linn, however this gave a poor return as another major pools lottery started in competition. He was one of the earliest car owners in the area and provided a hackney service to make ends meet. Obviously he found it useful for football training with the County team as well. This must have proved a very difficult time for both Kevin and Teresa with four children to rear, and with his time commitments as a County Councillor, as selector for the Meath Senior Team and as player and officer to Castletown G.F.C. However around this time a visit from two large gentlemen from nearby County Louth helped start a new opportunity for Kevin. Senator Magee and Paddy Mc Mahon arrived in Headstown and asked Kevin to join them at Ardee livestock sales as a promoter of sales of cattle, calves and sheep, with a commission paid on each sale he organised through the sales-yard. This Theresa and Kevin on their wedding liaison was to day – 25th June 1952
contribute greatly to the success of sales in north Meath, and provided a useful service to the small and large farmers alike. Kevin would tour his area on Saturdays and Mondays prior to the Tuesday sale viewing and valuing animals and organising cattle transport. His advice was An enduring love. Theresa and Kevin in 2006 of great assistance to small and elderly farmers in decisions on when to sell, and he ensured the best price was got for animals when their owners could not get to the salesyard. He enjoyed the trust and respect of the farmers in his north Meath area, and served in his role for over thirty years. Family affairs The regular income provided relative affluence and encouraged the arrival of a further seven children in almost consecutive years. Clothing and feeding eleven children demanded Theresa’s full attention. Washing and ironing clothes for the school-going ones and cotton nappies for the younger ones was a major challenge. Theresa was domestic manager and ensured all got their fair share of nourishment. Every day she baked two brown bread cakes in large tins (twelve inch by twelve inch). Also she cooked a large pot of porridge every night for the following morning’s breakfast. Washing-up duty after each meal caused numerous domestic rows. Most foodstuffs came from the farm and garden in the form of milk, potatoes, vegetables, and even bacon. To feed eleven children and two adults was a challenge, and a strong kitchen table was a fundamental requirement. Kevin, with usual pragmatism, commissioned “Tucker” Casey in the forge in Nobber to fabricate a suitable furnishing. It consisted of a large tubular frame with bright blue “Formica” top and served the family for twenty years. Running water was introduced when the house was extended in 1966, and radiators connected to the solid fuel cooker but this failed to deliver any actual heat. Christmas time was always special in the Mc Connell household. The numerous cakes and puddings would be baked in November and early
December. Shopping trips with different groups of children were scheduled in to the remaining Saturdays before Christmas. Christmas Eve and the pace stepped up to manic levels. The turkey, which was always over twenty two pounds weight, was squeezed into the large oven early in the morning for a day’s cooking. The turkey seldom lasted The Mc Connell family 1970. Back row: Kevin Snr. James, Brendan, Michael, beyond St. Stephen’s day. Patrick, Kevin Jnr. Elizabeth, Theresa Jnr., Claire, Theresa Snr.,Carmel, Phyllis, Rosemary Christmas day would be a relatively calm day. The queue to check on Santa’s performance would start at seven on Christmas morning, and when the last of the children appeared Kevin and Theresa opened the door to the sitting room and the race and frantic search would commence. All presents were individually wrapped and cards attached to avoid confusion. After mass the dinner preparations got underway. The girls would eat first and the boys make up the second sitting. Good will to all would reign for the rest of the day. Soon the older ones began their work carreers and leave the nest. Love and marrage also followed and a succession of family Kevin with “Hall of Fame” award from Castletown G.F.C. 1993, With family: Phyllis, James, Elizabeth, Brendan, Theresa snr, Lucy weddings were (daughter in law), Michael, and Carol (daughter in law).
enjoyed from 1981 to 2000. All eleven children married and Kevin’s after dinner speaches were much looked forward to. Grandchildren started to arrive giving cause for many more celebrations and happy occasions. However few families are exempt from sad times and Mc Connell’s sufferred a huge bereavement with the loss of Michael in a car accident at the age of 38 in October 1996. Michael’s wife Lucy would now have to carry on without him and rear their two sons Dermot (4 year old) and Sean (1 year old). Thankfully with Lucy’s inner strength and with help from her family in Termonfechin and support and help from Kevin, Theresa and family and their spouses the passing years have helped the healing proccess. Lucy and the two boys live active lives and contribute greatly to their local community through sport and many other ways. Farming matters The dairy herd proved the main money earning activity on the farm. In the early 1970’s sixteen cows would be milked by hand every morning and evening, by Kevin and the three eldest boys, before and after school. Chaos would reign in the kitchen when the boys came in from the “milking” and join the six girls at the kitchen table for breakfast before school. The daily ritual of cleaning out the dung from sixteen cows was another spur for the boys towards academic success. Eventually a milking machine replaced the boys, and Brendan became the full time apprentice on the farm. The herd was gradually increased, mostly by selective breeding from the best cows, and also from top quality animals that were bought-in to enhance milk production. Another ritual on the farm was the digging of potatoes and pitting them. During the winter four or five bags of “spuds” would be taken from the pit every Saturday. Occasionally, if the sale price of potatoes collapsed, the potatoes would be left in the ground and a drill dug every Saturday during the winter for the following week’s dinners, regardless of the weather. Thinning and later “snigging” and bagging the turnips were much-despised jobs on the farm prompting the boys to work harder at their schoolbooks. Hay making was always challenging - weather wise, but once bailed the athletic Kevin and five tall sons of varying ages could pack any hay-shed to the rafters. Silage making replaced most of the hay making through the years. Also abandoned was the cutting of oats with a “Binder” and “stooking”. The sheafs were fed direct to the cows, tied
in at night, and the straw used as bedding. “Conacre� was taken for cattle from different areas through the years including Nobber, Drakerath, Arigail, and others. This invariably meant transfer of cattle to and from these locations by foot, on Saturday - when the boys were back from college, and seldom seemed to be less than five miles distance. It was customary to fatten and kill a pig, and salt and hang the bacon. To kill the pig, however, was another matter. Podge Farrelly would arrive on his bicycle with the sledge tied up to the crossbar. The pig would be held and dispatched to the next life with a single blow to the head. However Podge, who worked well into his eighties, retired from this role, and Kevin was left to kill his own pig. On his first and last attempt he directed the boys to hold down a large boar in the middle of the garden. Kevin delivered the blow of the sledge with some lack of conviction- merely hitting the side of the head rather than the forehead. This caused the poor pig to squeal and scatter his holders and bolt in all directions around the garden, with the four boys and Kevin giving chase. Eventually the pig was re-captured and the job was completed, but home-grown bacon was removed from the menu from then on. Summer holidays for the kids usually meant being farmed-out to the relatives and a working stay enjoyed with some of the large network of cousins. Occasional summer holidays were also enjoyed in a caravan park in Bettystown, with Kevin commuting over and back from the farm. Brendan (fourth son) eventually took over the farming role and Kevin gradually decreased his involvement, but still has a keen interest in his life’s work of building a modern farm from a humble beginning as a farm labourer and owning one cow. Eleven children were raised on the farm, all completed second level education and three boys went through third level education. In 1973 all eleven were in school at the same time. The early and active involvement in helping out on the farm instilled a strong work ethic in the children, and a wide variety of skills learned and a competence gained, which would prove useful in their later careers. Brendan renovated and extended the family home with his wife, Carol, and their children. Kevin and Theresa moved to a house in Navan to be
close to shops and church etc. However Kevin’s homing instinct soon had them heading back to Castletown and they built a new bungalow in Carnacop with beautiful scenic views front and back. Later, as time moved on, they bought a new house in Kilmainhamwood Retirement Village. Sport and recreation But it was not “all work and no play” in the Mc Connell household. The boys, like their dad, all had a passionate interest in Gaelic football. The top of the garden was set aside as a pitch and decked out with long ash goalposts. Hardly a day passed without some kind of a kick around. Kevin snr was nearly always in the fray. All sons played Gaelic football with the Castletown club from juvenile through to adult level. Kevin with Football medals This meant a constant travelling to the matches, usually with the whole family crammed into the old Ford Consul. Kevin jnr., Patrick and James played minor and under twentyone grades with the County team. Kevin went on to play at senior level with Meath for about ten years. The older boys played key roles in winning the Intermediate championship with Castletown in 1976, thirty years after Castletown had won it with Kevin snr playing. In the following years Castletown were beaten, narrowly, in two senior semi-finals. The five sons all played at senior level with their club for varying lengths of time. The combined playing service of the family in the club stretched continually from Kevin’s juvenile days in the midthirties through to James’s last game in 2006. The girls played with the local ladies football team whilst it was running, but mostly their interest in music took up most of their time. Theresa ensured that there was some musical instrument available to each as they grew up. With six girls in the house and most of them armed with an accordion there were very few corners for quiet contemplation. Each of the girls still continues to play music and family get-togethers can be exuberant and loud affairs. But Kevin and Theresa didn’t let the kids have all the fun. They toured the circuit of old style dances and notched up many friends on the way.
Also with political functions, football dances and other social events they kept up a hectic pace well into their seventies. There are fewer dances to be attended now but they attended social occasions and funerals in north Meath well into the new millennium, where they were so widely known.
Political life Kevin inherited some of his political views from his father and actively supported Fine Gael all his life. He was encouraged to run for Fine Gael as a County Councillor by Gerry L’Estrange (Mullingar) who was a member of the Seanad and who later became a Minister. Kevin was elected in 1955 and served the people of North Meath until 1979. He worked on many boards during his 24 years. Those included the Health Board where he and his colleagues endeavoured to change attitudes towards mental health problems by having “open days” at St Loman’s Hospital Mullingar and by providing extra amenities for the patients. St Joseph’s hospital Trim also benefited from their work during his time, and is regarded highly. He also served on Meath Vocational Committee and six new secondary schools were built during his time and a new one in Nobber sanctioned. Also as a councillor he represented Meath on the Tourism Board and was glad to assist Drumconrath Development
Association in their work to improving the entrances and facilities to the north Meath lakes which makes them a great tourist attraction - bringing anglers from all over Europe. Kevin always had “housing” as his top priority - believing firmly in keeping the community together by driving the building of rural cottages and village housing schemes. In conjunction with his friends Barney Deighan and Dennis Farrelly and others Kevin succeeded in realising his goal with village schemes in Lobinstown, Castletown, Nobber, Kilmainhamwood, Duleek, Newtown and others. Kevin had very strong views on local and national issues and was very much of the Fine Gael stance. He had a great belief in the truth and a dislike of lies and corruption. He worked hard for his constituents regardless of their political persuasion, but if he or some of his party councillors had helped an individual, he would expect some consideration from them when voting using proportional representation in the next local election. Councillors could have a very good idea of who had, and had not, voted for them in the elections. After two terms in office in the Navan area he had to leave the votes of his native Castletown behind and break new ground in the Slane election area. And later still he had to fight elections without the help of local areas Meathhill and Drumconrath. Kevin had to inspire his party machine of local Fine Gael supporters for the election fights, and he could predict very closely how many first preference votes he would need to take the seat. He declared he would need over 600 in the Slane election area. He actually got 606 and won the seat by 5 votes. Kevin understood that “gerrymandering” of the election areas by various Local Government Ministers was for the benefit of their own party. However he could see why these things happen in politics and actually enjoyed the “cut and thrust” of the game. He especially enjoyed the monthly Monday Council meetings with all of
the attitudes and angles used by local councillors (some colourful characters) to pry assistance from the county manager. He often related humorous confrontations between the politicians at these meetings when he came home late in the evening. Nominal travelling expenses were paid for attending meetings. His constituency office was in the front seat of whoever’s car pulled up outside of the house. With the family numbers swelling and eventually becoming eleven in number there was no room in the house, so the routine was to hear petitions and transfer from car to car. This occurred a number of evenings each week and would go on from about seven to eleven. Church gate speaking, using a loud hailer, was a normal method used to get a message to the public in the run up to elections. This was difficult in poor weather conditions, especially once in wintertime, when patrons of an opposing political persuasion un-sportingly threw snowballs at him. Kevin (jokingly) equated this to the bullyboy tactics of the I.R.A. during the election in 1932. Over his twenty-four years he served his constituents with all his effort and with compassion. He treated all with dignity and respect. Upon the death of his friend Senator Dennis Farrelly Kevin was invited and encouraged to run on a Fine Gael ticket for the “Senate”. However with eleven children, a dairy farm, his sales yard commitments, and officer role with Castletown G.F.C. he declined the offer, as it would keep him away from his family too much. Dennis’s son John took up the challenge and Kevin canvassed for him with all his effort to retain the Fine Gael seat. He continued to canvass and support John and John Bruton in winning seats in the “Dail” and in which John Bruton was later to become Taoisigh. A keen observer of all things political Kevin was very committed to the Fine Gael doctrine but he was also appreciative of other political party’s successes. He surrounded himself with people of good council and he also held life-long friendships with people of different political persuasions, although sometimes communications were kept at a respectful distance during election time. Friends such as Paddy Duffy and George Clare could always be relied upon for balanced debate and wise judgement. Kevin believed in “fair play” and honest account in his political life. He would become incensed when he considers the waste of resources used in the Tribunals investigating political corruption all because of the lack of ability of these politicians to tell the truth.
Later Years Four happy years were spent in their home in Kilmainhamwood Retirement Village and although generally in good health Kevin had developed late-onset diabetes, but his condition was kept under close control by Theresa for over 20 years. Bowel cancer required him to have a colostomy in 2005 and he enjoyed good health again until 2008 when a secondary cancer in the lungs region gradually diminished lung capacity. This progressed slowly through 2008, and again with great help from Theresa and family, he was comfortable and had a good quality of life for nearly a year. He was finally confined to bed for the last couple of weeks of his life. He declared until the end that he “hadn’t a pain in his body” and he passed away on the 16th of April 2009, in his home, quietly, in his sleep. His wife Theresa and some of his children and Father Cooney were in attendance at his bedside Kevin’s lifelong commitment to serving his community ensured a massive turnout for his “removal” on 17th to Castletown K.P. church and on the following day at his burial in the local graveyard in beautiful sunny weather. Many of his foot-balling colleagues through-out his career were present, also his political friends from across party lines, and also the people whose lives he touched during his work organising livestock for Ardee sales-yard and from the wider farming community. His friend, Father Sheeran, gave an accurate and touching synopsis on his qualities, and the things he left unsaid were as effective a tribute as the things he said.
Legacy With a large Catholic family of eleven children and now with thirty-four grand children it is certain that an enduring Mc Connell footprint has been created in Castletown. All of Kevin’s off-springs have married and most live in the area with only Claire, the youngest, living outside Ireland in the U.S.A. Kevin jnr. married Irene Tighe and they live in Dublin with their family – Ross and Karen (twins), Mark and Kevin. Phyllis married Frank Ward and she lives in Castletown and her family are – Kevin, Mary, Conor, Kathleen and Sarah. Patrick married Mary Kieran and they live near Navan with family- Ciaran, Pauric, Cathal and Aisling. Michael (killed in car crash in 1996) married Lucy Collier and Lucy lives in Baltray with their sons Dermot and Sean. Rosemary married Padraig Fogarty and they live with their sons Brian, Kevin and James in County Waterford. Theresa married Kevin Prendergast and they live in County Clare with family - Claire, Kevin and Eoin. Elizabeth married Harry Rayburn (now divorced) and she lives in Castletown and their children are Claire, Lisa, Henry and Stephen. Brendan married Carol Fanning and they live on the family farm in Castletown with their family - Brendan, Laura, Robert and Andrew. Carmel married Lorcan Mc Cready and they live in Athlone with their son Conor. James married Margaret Plunkett and with their family - Eva, Rian and Meena live in Castletown. Clare married Mark Silke and they live in California with their son Kyle. Gaelic football, other sports and playing music are still common bonds linking the family together, as they have always done through earlier generations. The commitment, perseverance, capability, courage and sacrifice of the common people of Ireland during these difficult years after the birth of the Republic laid the foundation stones for the modern wealth of this small nation, and their achievements must surely rank above many of those of the so called heroes been given that credit today. Kevin’s contribution to his family and community in so many different ways must rank amongst the highest of these – suggesting perhaps maybe “not such an ordinary life story”.
Old Bonfires and Kevin remembered. It becomes a time of days we love to talk on, Of football, and of friends, with the stored in “craic”, Like wildflowers, plucked in childhoods not forgotten, The fragrance comes forever drifting back. We hold hands around the bonfires once again Ring in the night with cheers, redeem the vanished time, Sing merrily the songs of forty nine, Till the dawn light makes silver of the Boyne. The sixty years have flown, but with us still The glory of that triumph and the cheers, Those dates with golden memories lift us still And help us through the mischiefs of the years. Yes, mischiefs that have broken ties and links And severed us from friendships that were joy; Often of Kevin and of absent friends we think, And feel a tear slide from a lonesome eye. But memories of the fields keep sweet, with dreams of youth recalled, Through treasured hours of which we still are proud, Are still wild with attraction for the bouncing ball, And deep and earnest like the passions of the crowd And they had roots of hope in yearnings long around, Whenever teams are drawn, and football played: Whenever Meath Gaels met, a place was found To make a prayer and wish for such a day. Then it became reality, full of fine September sun, Of faces tanned and fresh, of rivalries and teams Of Cavan’s blue, the champions, and second then to none; Of Meath that swept away the cup to evenings evergreen.
And Kevin young and strong was there, with sudden swerve and sharpness of the eye, With fearless dash to gather the ball in, We watched that robust frame, that let no forward by, We loved the clearance, when the strain eased off again. Then thinking of five years on; still one of peerless three, Forever famous as a full-back line; No loss of skill, no weakening of defence, But there to win old Sam a second time. And Castletown and Syddan too must feel, For football power he brought, clubs nobly blest; Always the best he gave, always the last to yield; We build on Parish pride from memories he left. Put them to drift on tides that move the Boyne On royal waters, ageless till now and always will, Or keep them close; to be revived when Summer comes To the green sward round the bonfires on the hills. And yet, his greatest glory was his family life; His strive to care and win; the sweetness of success, Delight in growing numbers; the happy man and wife; The old time dancing too, that I must not forget. In busy world well done, yet song and swinging too – We wont let precious leisure slip away,But keep in mind the grand love story ever coming through, as if it only happened yesterday. Ah! Memories; and surely many more That hide in mossy banks of memory lane; They will come out to pack the brim-full store, And hold off sadness with a smile again. For they are the gilded things of days we love to talk on, Of football, life and friends, with the stirred-in craic; Like wildflowers plucked in childhood, not forgotten, Their fragrance comes forever drifting back. Paddy Meegan “Remembering Kevin Mc Connell, a true life time friend”.