Passing of Francie Donnelly, Donaghmore
The late Francie Donnelly with his son Padraig at the handing over of jerseys to Donaghmore.
The Donaghmore community was grieving last week after the sad passing of local business man Francis Donnelly.
Francis, known to his friends as Francie, was a well known and popular figure in local sporting and business circles.
Francie was heavily involved in life in the Donaghmore community and was a committee member of the Donaghmore District Community Association playing an important role in the development of the Torrent Cetre in the village.
A great GAA man Francie was a proud member of the St Patrick’s club in Donaghmore and served the club as a chairman. He also had a long association with the Bardic Theatre, Donaghhmore
As founder and proprieter of the Design Yard Ltd, on the Coalisland Road, Dungannon, Francie grew a business that earned the respect of many business people both in the local area and throughout Ireland.
Such was the esteem in which he was held in the interior design world, Francie won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Irish Kitchen Trade Awards just last year.
Francie revealed the inspiration and his motivation for his business in a 2010 interview with the interview with the Ulster Tatler.
He told the magazine: “Furniture and in particular kitches will always challenge you. You can’t be half hearted either- when you become involved in kitchens and I have been directly involved in their design and manufacture since 1986, you become an obsessive.”
Francie was also committed to creating and maintaining jobs locally something he also referred to in the interview.
“Its our ability to make these things locally that counts, we believe its important that our customers know that they are helping to create and sustain local jobs in a business that is nearly all about exports.”
Francie will be sadly missed by his beloved wife Pauline, children Seana, Niamh, Padraig and Catherine, sisters Brid, Josephine and Nuala and the entire family circle.
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Weather for Dungannon
Wednesday 22 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 4 C to 12 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: North
