By Finian Coghlan IN a touching tribute to the late John Dooley, the organisers of RTE’s Super Garden are to deliver his winning garden to the national school in Castledermot as a lasting tribute to the man who put the town on the map last week. There was widespread sadness and shock at the death of John, who passed away on Wednesday morning, a week after winning the RTE gardening competition and days after exhibiting at Bloom to tens of thousands of visitors. John was devoted husband to Liz and his passing is also mourned by his brothers, sisters, extended family and large circle of friends.
“ Super Garden was the pinnacle for him,” said his nephew Jason Dooley. “Did you know, Liz entered him in it and didn’t tell him? On the drive up, he nearly changed his mind when they got up to Meath, but then said it was the best thing he ever did.” “John and Liz were very close, they were always seen together, a great couple,” he added.
“They were always a great help to my mother and father and they were always fond of kids and there was always a pet in the house,” he said. John worked as a farm manger until his retirement, while he was also the sacristan in The Church of the Assumption, Castledermot. Unsurprisingly, the flowers in the church were always artistically arranged.
Jason explained how John was held in high regard by the pupils and staff at Scoil Diarmada “because they all knew him from their communions and confirmations.” “A lot of the pupils were .