Farewell to Mel - the showman at the centre of it all!

Tribute to one of Cavan Town’s best loved personalities.

One of Cavan Town’s best loved personalities, Mel Doherty sadly passed away earlier this week. A generous and big hearted man, Mel was a pivotal figure in so many aspects of community life in the county town and his passing was widely mourned. His passion for the scouts, drama, music, fundraising and most importantly, fun, brought him into contact with a huge volume of people. That contact invariably grew into a lasting friendship.

The following are just a few of those he worked alongside down through the years.

Those were the days

“We were probably in our late teens when Mel decided we needed a car. He took some data from the paper and we headed off to Dublin on the bus. First call was to a guy who had a Volkswagen Beetle for sale at £90, sadly it had a gear missing! Next stop was a proper garage and the owner was a very pleasant man hoping for a sale I’m sure, but when he heard what our budget was he told us there was a guy around the back would fix us up. Well the back yard was packed with scrap cars. Mel said, ‘Joe, sure we could not make a car out of all this could we?’

“Our last stop which we hoped would be a lucky one was in Chapelizod. The man showed us a Baby Ford car, which he had fenced in at the back of his house because he was afraid it would be stolen! We didn’t think there was much chance of that happening! We asked if we could have a test drive and he was very reluctant, but Mel insisted (I was really the silent partner). The man drove us to the Phoenix Park and after a couple of miles the car stalled. ‘Ah,’ he said, ‘no petrol.’

Somehow we didn’t fall for that. We jumped out and off towards the city. The language, which we heard behind us is not for publication. Those were the days my friend, we thought they would never end.”

- Joe Cullivan

Lifelong friend

“I grew up two doors down from Mel on St Bridget’s Terrace. My early memories of Mel was that he was always in a hurry, rushing to grab life with both hands. My first recollection of performing with Mel would’ve been when I was in my mid-teens, we would sing and dance at variety shows around the county, one of our biggest showcases was ‘The Tops of Breffni’ in the Town Hall, which was an annual event. I’ve lost count of number of shows we took part in, both on and off stage, as well as providing entertainment at the old folks parties in the nursing homes around the county. Mel was full of fun, always up for a laugh and never short of a joke, I will miss my lifelong friend dearly.

- Ann McKiernan, fellow performer

‘Pa and Cha’

“As a nephew of Mel, he and I were involved in various projects together over many years among them Cavan Boy Scouts, the scouts harmonica and accordion bands, where Mel became the key drummer and demonstrated the art to great effect. His percussionary skills, also with a number of ceili bands in the ‘50s and ‘60s, displayed his versatility and he enjoyed the snide remarks when someone in his company would shout out ‘You’re no Gene Krupa or Buddy Rich’, who were outstanding jazz drummers of that era, but he enjoyed the friendly banter.

“His musical talents were only matched by his humour as a comedic actor, which he brought into focus through his association with the Boy Scout annual pantomimes under the late scoutmaster John Donohoe and later with the late Father Turloc O’Reilly, where the comedy duo of Pa and Cha (Mel and Gerry Maguire and later with John O’Connor) was a regular and popular feature of the shows in the Town Hall. He had many close friends in ‘show business’ and counted many others too numerous to mention. He collaborated with Fr Turloc on a number of ventures including a series of short films, one of them entitled ‘Mulligan’s Million’s.

“That was only a small portion of his undoubted skills as he collaborated with a number of local organisations where he featured in popular shows like the Tops of Breifne talent competition. He was always a willing volunteer when called upon and his various charitable works were testimony of his unselfish service to others.

“His working life as a mechanic and panel beater, which began in his teens in Jacksons and Smiths garages, merely underlined the determination to further his career. His rapidly-gained experience in the trade encouraged him to purchase a small premises on Coleman Road in Cavan Town, and was an example of his entrepreneurial foresight. From small beginnings to his present business in Gortnakesh, Mel’s determination to succeed is a fitting memorial to his long life, which began in Edgeworthstown, Co Longford in 1935.

- Eamonn Gaffney, relative and former Celt sports editor

Drama King!

“Patrons of Cavan Drama Festival may or may not remember the various plays they have seen but one character they will never forget is Mel - in recent years supported by his ‘Raffleteers’ – who could transform the drawing of a ticket during the interval into a theatrical performance all its own! He charmed audiences with his gentle wit and infectious smile as he encouraged fair representation of the various colours of tickets sold and made the calling out of a serial number a unique form of entertainment!

“But behind the scenes he was also a Trojan supporter of the committee’s work, drawing on his wisdom, experience and indefatigable energy to promote the festival at every opportunity. He was rightly proud to be part of the reason it has endured for over 75 years and celebrated that fact in his wonderful book – which is a testament to how much he contributed to and entertained his community. He will be very greatly missed by the Drama Festival Committee. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal.’

- Rachael Cullivan Elliott, Chairperson, Cavan Drama Festival Committee

The showman at the centre of it all

“I remember visiting Mel to chat about ‘Mulligans Millions’. He was sitting down with one of the grandchildren teaching them painting. They were mixing watercolours and he was assuredly and carefully making sure that they were getting a grasp of the craft. It was a lovely scene and an inspirational image.

“I got to interview Mel regarding his involvement with both films made by himself and Fr Turloc O’Reilly in the years between the mid ‘60s and early ‘70s. In their creative partnership, Mel was John Wayne to Fr Turloc’s John Ford.

“It was mad to learn that the motivating factor to make the films was to raise funds to pay off the building of a new Scouts Den. This was a development from the pantomime shows that Fr Turloc and Mel and his friend John O’Connor and many others had been involved with. People came together and volunteered their time with a shared purpose, and the silliness and time pressure of putting on a live show would have been a profoundly bonding experience.

“Creative ingenuity was necessary here to get the paying audience in the door. This was the essence of show business and Mel was the showman at the centre of it all.”

- Padraig Conaty, film maker

A creative legacy

“Mel Doherty launched ‘Mel’s Your Man’, A Cavan Memoir on Cavan Day, July 29, at Townhall, Cavan. It was a great day for Mel, for his family and for Cavan. This memoir was a Covid-19 project. Launching his memoir, Mel, chatted, danced, and sang. He did, what he achieved so effortlessly throughout his life, he charmed his audience. He was completely himself and he held all present in the power of his personality, his love, and his life force.

“Mel Doherty’s time in the Boys Scouts led to his life as a drummer with the Accordion Band and performances at Breffni Park. With his many friends in music and culture, he brought joy to hospitals for over 50 years performing at Christmas and special times. He entertained through his work in novelty acts, dancing, pantomimes, concerts, Tops of the Towns and with the Cavan Players.

“He was the star of the feature film ‘Mulligans Millions’ with its cast of hundreds, its sequel ‘Medlar Mulligan’ and made guest appearances in ‘The Begrudgers’ and ‘Redemption of a Rogue’. He was a valued committee member of 78-year-old Cavan Drama Festival, a gifted cartoonist, painter, sign-writer, comedian and seanchaí.

“Mel Doherty was inspirational. He has left a creative legacy that is valued and cherished by those who enjoyed his talent. Cavan is a better place because Mel Doherty lived here. His life was a masterclass in living and dying well.”

- Catriona O’Reilly, Cavan Arts Officer