[Deathwatch] Eamonn McGirr, pub owner & endurance singer, 63

[Deathwatch Central <cdw@slick.org>]

Eamonn McGirr Passes Away

Eamonn McGirr passed away last night from complications relating to a
1996 fall in his Loudonville pub. He leaves behind his wife of 28
years, his 26 year old daughter, and countless friends who say he made
a real impact on their lives.

With his wife and daughter by his side -- Eamonn McGirr broke the world
record for endurance singing at the 1996 CP Telethon, crooning for 11
days and 20 minutes straight.

Even during his shining moment -- he had a message. ?Try to see past
the walker - try to see past the wheelchair -- to a lovely child like
this, who is truly a member of every family,? said McGirr. ?He wasn't
just an entertainer. He had a purpose for his entertaining, and his
purpose was helping people I need. And I think that's what we will
miss,? said Anne Schneider Costigan of the Center for the Disabled.

McGirr was born in Northern Ireland and moved to the U.S. with his
family about 20 years ago. He helped host the CP Telethon from 1992 to
2003, starting because of his daughter, Mareena, who has Cerebral
Palsy. Helping the disabled took on a whole new meaning when McGirr
himself was paralyzed in a freak accident at his Loudonville pub a few
months after he broke that record. Still McGirr kept helping and
entertaining others, even joining his annual St. Patty's Day
celebration on a stretcher in 1997.

Frank Jaklitsch has performed with McGirr for the last 12 years -- and
says he'll always remember his beloved friend as a performer.

?In his day, every time he'd make you feel good. That's what I'm going
to remember. He made me feel good,? said Jaklitsch. ?What we'd like to
say to him is farewell good friend, and keep singing,? said Costigan.

McGirr?s funeral will be Thursday morning at 9 o'clock at St. Pius X in
Loudonville. There will be a celebration of his life afterward at the
pub. 


Eamonn McGirr Passes Away

(Loudonville - WRGB) ? The owner of a Loudonville Irish pub who set a
record for endurance singing has died. Eamonn McGirr was 63 when he
passed away last night at a hospital in Schenectady from complications
of his paralysis suffered in a fall at his bar, "Eamonn's" eight years
ago. In 1996, the native of Northern Ireland sang for eleven straight
days, earning him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. His
attempt at the record drew international attention and earned him
appearances on network morning shows.

McGirr's efforts helped bring in more than a million dollars for
Albany's annual telethon to raise money for cerebral palsy, which his
daughter suffers from.	That same year, he damaged his spine when a bar
stool at his pub collapsed underneath him. He had been hospitalized
since February when his health began to falter. While still healthy,
McGirr often performed at his pub, which featured local musicians and
touring Irish groups.