It was with deep sadness that Eileen and I learned of the death of Brian Mc Ateer a great friend of 50 plus years. There is a tremendous sense of loss that is felt by his many friends both here and his native Ireland. No longer will we be greeted with his smiling countenance and his warm handshake. Each of us who were privileged to have known Brian, have lost a true friend, a giant of a man who was blessed with a foresight not granted to many others in this life. Borrowing a line from his classmate and friend Seamus Heaney “a man you don’t meet everyday”.
Eileen will always remember Brian when he visited our Irish store Four Green Fields in Burlingame. Eileen remembers Briaj as always having a big smile, and one of the warmest, kindest and gentlest souls one could hope to meet. Brian was a great friend to all who came and went at the store and he was so humble about all he accomplished. He had a brilliant mind but said that Brian spoke to you, not at you, and listened, which itself is a rare talent. He really was a lovely kind man who put everyone at their ease, it didn’t matter where you came from, you were welcomed and that’s what makes it so sad now. The Northern Ireland education act of 1948 allowed Catholic boys to sit the 11 Plus exam and if passed were given scholarships based on merit and intelligence. Those Catholic boys would go on to reshape Northern Ireland both politically and culturally. For Brian it meant leaving home and boarding school at St. Columb’s Derry. No experience would prepare him for what lay ahead. In his own words “A preparation for something extraordinary”. He suffered from the commitment cultures of violence and conformity imposed by both the religious and lay teachers at St. Columb’s. It really was the ministry of fear that defined Brian’s formative years there. The Dean of Discipline whose job it was to administer corporal punishment, was a man to be feared at St. Columb’s. He apparently was not the only teacher with a volcanic temper. If a certain teacher had a noticeable fragrance on his breath it was especially advisable to give him a “wide berth”. Still he would say that Hammerings aside” he got a great education. Proficiency in Greek and Latin were expected. A classical education with exposure to declensions and conjugations stood Brian well when Uncle Sam called him to serve in the Army. Brian never bragged about the fact that among his classmates at St. Columb’s was the Noble prize winning poet Seamus Heaney. The Nobel Peace prize winner John Hume. The award winning dramatist Brian Friel. The critic and novelist Seamus Deane. Phil Coulter and Paul Brady for music. I will add Brian Mc Ateer’s name to that list of accomplished Derry and County Derry men. They really were “The Magnificent Seven” and we are so proud of all of them.
May his beautiful soul now be at rest in his heavenly home.
Eileen and I extend our sincere condolences to Nancy and all Brian’s family and many friends.
Ar Dheis Lamh De go raibh a Anam Dhillis
Eileen and Martin Rooney
Monday 19 January 2026
Eileen and Martin Rooney