Dermot O’Neill’s late wife, Chickie, planned her own funeral ahead of her death last week, it has been revealed, and she ensured that her loved ones would have fun
Mrs Brown’s Boys star Dermot O’Neill’s late wife, Chickie, planned her own funeral. Patricia ‘Chickie’ Maguire died just seven days ago, aged 60.
The wife of actor Dermot, who plays Grandad in the BBC sitcom, was diagnosed with cancer in January this year. She had visited a hospital in Spain to have a hernia removed, when doctors discovered the tumour and were unable to operate.
But as Patricia’s health deteriorated, she ensured that her funeral was exactly what she wanted, so she planned it herself. During the service, her son, Salvador, explained that she ordered an end-of-life planner, which arrived on the day she died.
The front of the planner had the message: “Sorry, it’s your problem now, because I’m dead,” written across the front. Speaking about the planner, Salvador said: “That really made us laugh. That was my mum all over.”
Throughout the funeral, each of Patricia’s children, sons Salvador and Evan, as well as daughters Yolanda and Nicola, shared their heartbreak over the death of their mother. They shared their pride over how many people turned out for the service, which “was a testament to how much she was loved,” adding that their world had “gotten a lot quieter” since her death.
However, Dermot was too emotional to speak during the service but rose to his feet as Chickie’s coffin passed through the church doors at the end of the service. Following the service, he explained that Chickie decided she wanted karaoke at the wake, which was being held in nearby Kealy’s.
Speaking to The Sun, he said: “Chickie wanted people to have a good time even at her funeral. That was very much her personality. She was a joyful, warm person. I’m so sad she is gone.”
His Mrs Brown’s co-star, Paddy Houlihan, was one of the mourners in attendance and said he had never seen his long-term pal, whom he calls Bugsy, so shocked. “I’ve known Bugsy for so many years and it’s the first time he doesn’t sound like Bugsy,” he told the outlet.
He added: “He’s absolutely devastated. But everyone on Mrs Brown is there to support him. I know Brendan (O’Carroll) has been on the phone from Florida to Dermot a few times in the last few days. He will have a break now and all the cast are off until Mrs Brown starts shooting again in October.”
Following her diagnosis earlier this year, Chickie had been undergoing chemotherapy treatment at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. Speaking about her diagnosis, she said she was offered a spot at a Spanish hospital for treatment but made the decision to return to Ireland.
She said that if she remained in Spain she would “never see my kids again”. The mum-of-seven added that she struggled to tell her children, especially her sons Salvador and Evan, who she told with Dermot. She said her husband “put his hand on my knee” and they “all hugged and cried”.
Tragically, her only wish was to spend another Christmas with her family, as she had a three-year-old granddaughter, Ellie, and her “dream is to make it to Christmas Day and give her a kiss”.
Dermot and Chickie got married in 2012. The two met at a Brendan O’Carroll concert, and they waited 20 years before getting married. Dermot previously opened up about the unconventional engagement. He texted Chickie: “Do you want to be Mrs O’Neill?” She texted back saying yes, and they were married a little while later.
Chickie, who previously helped Dermot recover from cancer in 2020, praised her husband for how he helped her. She called him “amazing”, especially since their age gap meant he never thought that he would watch his wife be sick. Dermot is 14 years older than his wife.
The Macmillan Support Line offers confidential support to people living with cancer and their loved ones. If you need to talk, call us on 0808 808 0000.
If you have been affected by this story, Cruse Bereavement Support offers free help to make sense of how you are feeling. Click here for their website or call 0808 808 1677.
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