It's been a strange and difficult time for most of the people in my department here in Maynooth. We had the shock of discovering the news of the accidental death of the Head of Philosophy, just about two weeks ago. He sadly fell into the canal on a short cut walk home at night, when it was blowing a gale, although no one knows the ins and outs of it exactly. He was my supervisor in my first year, although that didn't work out so well. But he was a good man, and I hope he is at peace.
Due to the circumstances, it's been a very shocked community on campus. There was talk of nothing else really for about a week, and there was the mark of respect of cancellation of lectures on both sides of our bridge, which divides the two colleges that once were one. He wished to be buried in the College graveyard, and so he is the first lay person to be buried there, which is considered a mark of respect as well. I wasn't close with him, but those I work with were, and it is heart-breaking for a couple of people in particular.
People came from all over for the funeral, alot from the West as his wife is from there. He actually had this job I'm presently doing twenty odd years ago, from 1982 to 1999, then gaining his lectureship 'across the bridge'. He even stayed over on occasion in the house I'm presently living in. So that compounds the thought that many of us have, that that could be me. No one knows their end, and as my father says, it's probably a good thing they don't. Life goes by so fast, and hopefully when it does pass, we might have people speak as well of us as they certainly did, and with love, of Professor Kelly.
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