Crona Byrne, the daughter of Kathleen Watkins and Gay Byrne, has shared her grief at the loss of her mother and opened up about her final "wonderful days" with the family.
Kathleen passed away on November 6th 2024, and is missed by her family, relatives and a wide circle of treasured friends.
Crona was marking her father Gay's fifth anniversary on Monday with her husband Phil Carney and their two children when she was notified that her mum was reaching her last days.
Read more: Kathleen Watkins said she was 'grateful for the long life I’ve had' before passing away
Read more: Gay Byrne's incredible legacy: Fearless interviewer, 50 year marriage to wife Kathleen and life on the TV
“I can’t believe the timing,” Crona told The Sunday World.
“It was Dad’s anniversary on Monday…and on Monday I had gone with my husband Phil and the children to put flowers on Dad’s grave, and when we went for lunch we got the call that Mum wasn’t well.”
The family were able to be with Kathleen until the end. Kathleen and Gay were parents to daughters Suzy and Crona, and grandparents to Cian, Sadhbh, Kate, Saoirse and Harry.
“We had a wonderful four days with her, three nights round the clock…we told stories, Suzy read some beautiful poetry. It was just a really, really lovely time with all of us together."
"She wasn’t conscious, but she did react to several things we were saying…she could hear, but there wasn’t conversation.”
Kathleen was known as Nana Kit to her grandchildren, and Crona noted that she was “an absolute lady, and a lady who reached out and touched so many people’s hearts…and so generous to everybody and so kind and warm."
"She did a lot of things for others that people will never know about."
“She just was an incredible person and we are so lucky and honoured to have been part of her life and the same with Dad. To be able to call them Mum and Dad, what a privilege."
Sharing some insight into their family life, Crona said that the relationship between her mother and father was aspirational.
“Mum and Dad’s relationship was absolutely incredible and it’s something that we all aim for in life. It was a mutual partnership with mutual respect and a mutual love for each other, and the whole thing worked together so beautifully.
“Mum ruled the roost in the home, of course. Dad would joke, ‘I better speak to herself, the red head…no hair just a red head.’”
While Gay is one of Ireland's most beloved and well known broadcasters, Crona paid homage to her mother Kathleen's incredible career.
"Mum was one of the first ‘voices’ of RTÉ, but prior to that she was the harpist with Irish Distillers and toured all over the world,” Crona said.
“She had a radio show, Overseas Requests, she had (TV programme) Faces & Places and she did voiceovers. And she was heavily, heavily involved in the arts in Ireland. She was on the Arts Council for many years.”
Kathleen's funeral cortege will depart from Howth at 11am on Tuesday, 12th November, arriving for Requiem Mass at 12 noon at the Church of the Sacred Heart, Donnybrook, followed by a private burial.
Kathleen's family have requested family flowers only and the house is private.
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