T. P. Ennis
by planetparker
I couldn’t believe it when I heard that T.P, had died. I didn’t want to believe it. I’ve lost not only a great colleague but a dear, dear friend. T.P. combined two qualities which are so rare amongst historians. He was a gentleman – a true gentle man – but he also possessed at times infuriating humility.
He truly was the unsung hero of Cavan history. He was content to beaver away in the midst of sometimes musty manuscript repositories, no doubt often facing the frustration of not finding what he was looking for, but knowing that his dedication and commitment would be eventually repaid.
One of the articles I am proudest of is the study of the creamery company I co-wrote with T.P. last year, He would have been entitled to claim the whole piece as his work, as he had dont most of the research and I just re-arranged it, but instead he didn’t want his name to appear on the article at all. This wasn’t because he was ashamed to be mentioned as joint author with me, but was once again a product of that humility I mentioned earlier. Now it’s a convention hallowed by years of use that co-authors are listed alphabetically but T.P. insisted that I should be put first, and it had been such a hard job to get him to put his name at all to the article that I gave way.
I’m feeling really shook up by the news. I could always rely on T.P.’s friendship and advice, as well as his ability to ferret interesting data out of collections that I can’t get to these days. But then T.P. was a true historian. Whatever historical work I do in the future is dedicated to him. Oh God above, why do you take away the good people and leave this world (which you created) to be overrun by crawling scum?
But you know, when I think of T.P.. I smile as I remember the happy days when he was alive and the fact that I was privileged to know him.
I too am shocked and saddened by TP’s death. And it was nice to see, when I typed his name into the internet this night, that already somebody had taken the time to write on his passing. I had the privilege to share many discussions with TP, on many different things. We come from the same area, and his love for its history always meant he had something interesting on his lips. Indeed, he was the truest of historians, in the sense that what drove him the most was passion for the subject, pure passion. He simply loved it, and that’s what made listening to him such a pleasure. When I think of him now, I too smile. A unique man, that innocent grin, and a fund of knowledge in his head. RIP.
Great to see such kind words for T.P. a friend and good neighbour. Few people had the deep interest and knowledge of history and local history as T.P. When the local history “Drumkilly, from Ardkill Mountain to Kilderry Hill ” was compiled in 2000 T.P. worked tirelessly day and late nights to compile work which helped make this book such a valuable reference. Of course the other members of the commitee made great contributions too, but T.P. was so excited and commited to this work and he often called sometimes late at night to show some more gems of local history he had unearthed. A great loss to Cavan history. R.I.P.
Condolences to everybody who miss TP! I was his American colleague in studying Cavan folklife. I first met him near Kilnaleck in 1980, as a very young man with a bike and tent and a lot of maps, all alone in Ireland, trying to learn how to be a folklorist. TP had heard about my inquiries and one day he drove by and stopped, and we chatted for an hour as only TP can chat. He then pressed two pounds on me “a gesture of goodwill to a fellow student” which he would not take back, and left. I made other trips to Ireland in intervening years, hoping to find TP again, but alas, I guess he was off and about, in England. I found his e-mail address at some point when he was writing for a Co. Cavan folklifer website, but as most of you know, communicating by letter or e-mail was not TP’s natural mode.
Finally I was able to make a sustained folklore collection visit in 2004, and I dropped his name in the market at Ballinagh, hoping that the “Irish telegraph” would find him for me, and it did. He found me tenting near Fleming’s Folly, and we picked up our conversation almost as he had left it off 24 years earlier — as if we were two colleagues who had been away for a month. It was strange and wonderful. We associated together for several days, he driving me around, or suggesting people to interview, and finally loaning me his gaff in Dublin for a few days and insisting I see Irish plays both traditional and revolutionary.
I was glad to repay TP some hospitality when he visited me for a week in Connecticut in 2005. There again I found my soul-brother. When he left, he left a letter under a pillow, which requested that I keep on the work of documenting Co. Cavan folklife, which was one of the driving forces in life for this self-taught anthropologist. He also left $200 cash — which again, he would not take back when I called him, to speed my return to Cavan and continue the folklore study. I was looking forward to a return next year, which now I find is a year too late.
TP was the kind of man who is essential to the life of a community. As someone said, he truly fulfills the definition of “unsung hero” even in a world where the word ‘hero’ is used too much and loses meaning. He was hero with marginal notes in his books, and mud on his boots, and the spark of all that is good about humans in his spirit. I am happy that he had good things to do up until the very end, and that he had a fine companion (Ms. N.) to share some of them with, and host of friends to celebrate his life. That is real wealth. — Wade Tarzia
I haven’t spoken to him for a couple of years and I still can’t believe that I now never will… I am writing a novel at the moment (in Russian!) and T.P. will be portrayed there as one of the heroes, so he will no longer be unsung!
A Chairde Gael, tá an-áthas orm go bhfuil cuimhní chomh maith againn uilig ar Thomás, nó TP. Bhi aithne agam féin air le fada freisin, agus is minic a bhí gáirí agam leis, agus é ag inseacht scéalta grinn agus scéalta stairiúla. Aireoidh muid ar fad uainn é.
Delighted that many people have such good memories of Tomás, TP. I knew him for years also and we always enjoyed his jokes and funny stories, and indeed history, many’s a good laugh we had at many’s a picket and march.
I was searching for his number all this summer as a friend of mine abroad had questions about Co. Cavan history, but of course I left it too late, and now they will never meet or write. Go mba fada buan a chuimhne i measc a mhuintir féin.