IN MEMORIAM: Billy Holmes

Yesterday, we said goodbye to Billy Holmes as he was laid to rest after a long illness, he had a beautiful send off with tributes from friends and family, including a beautiful rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' by his beloved Kilkenny Musical Society of which he served as president.

AIMS Secretary Frank Foley offered up some words in his memory which we'd like to share here.

"Billy and I met around 30 years ago and became friends through an organisation called AIMS.

The Association of Irish Musical Societies is an umbrella resource organisation for about 130 musical societies all over the island of Ireland from Kilkenny to Letterkenny, from Belfast in the North to Newcastle West in Co Limerick.

Billy has been involved in AIMS as it is better known for nearly 30 years as a very active rep of his own society (along with others here today, if I could mention Bill Kennedy).

Billy was still working in Hotel Kilkenny in the early stages but still tried to get time off to attend his monthly meeting in Dublin. He was Vice Chair of the south eastern region of AIMS 2001/2003 and then Chair of the region until 2007.

Billy was extremely popular with many many members of various societies Around the south east but on retirement Billy branched out travelling to Dublin and Belfast staying with friends he met through AIMS and making more and more friends in various societies he visited.

Always having time to chat with everyone and telling them How good their show was as you sat by and wondered 'Was Billy at the same show that I was?'.

Reading through social media messages since Billy’s death everyone both young and the not so young spoke of Billy’s welcome, his warm heartedness, this love and interest in music that took him far and wide from Chapel street here in Johnstown to Carnegie Hall,New York. Johnstown's own answer to Count John McCormack. Athlone eat your heart out.

On retirement Billy gave more and more of his time to AIMS attending local shows all over the region, attending our Choral Festival in New Ross, our annual awards ceremony in Killarney where Billy would knock the socks off the fancy dress Theme night with the help of his good friends Rena & Bill Kennedy.

Some memorable photos have been taken of Billy in various guises, a memorable one of the Three Little Maids from the town of Titipu (Find that place in your atlas and it is not a village near the parish of Killenaule) but in an operetta called The Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan. To a shady character wearing a fez and a kaftan with sandals and sunglasses to disguise himself but who didn’t know Billy from Kilkenny who won the fancy dress Every year, Billy always supported our Youth Summer School for Secondary school students held in the Ursuline College and Boarding School in Thurles every first week in July. The Members of AIMS were delighted that he came to the Youth Summer School 25th anniversary in the Premier Hall Thurles and their production of the schools version of Les Miserables, last year 2023 one of the last occasions he was public ally with us.

One of Billy’s party pieces was from an old old operetta called NEW MOON by Sigmund Romberg. This was a party piece which sums up Billy personality to a tee.

Give me some men Who are stout-hearted men Who will fight For the rights They adore

The opening verse starts with the lines

You Who have dreams If you act They will come true

I think these lines sums up Billy’s attitude to music and to nature and to the community and family around him.

One of my lasting memories is for Billy’s 80th birthday taking him to see Jessie Buckley the famous Kerry actress who attended our annual Youth Summer School where Billy got to know her and she was starring in the lead role in the musical CABARET in London. 

We booked for a matinee performance on the Saturday. We turned up to the theatre had a glass of champagne before the show (as you do !). Mikey was looking around and Billy was gone talking to someone he thought he knew from Ireland. Mikey came back and said she’s (Jessie Buckley) not on this afternoon its a stand in for the next few performances. How are we going to tell Billy. Well, we all had (including Billy) another glass of champagne (I’m sure it was A Lidls Prosecco) and told Billy the news. He was so upset. We felt terrible but anyway in we went. Billy’s seat was at a cabaret table on the actual stage and we were to the side but could see Billy singing along with all the numbers as he usually did at a show. The following week after we got home Billy rang us as Jessie Buckley had been nominated for an Oscar. The same year Jessie won an award for Best Actress in a West End Musical. But unfortunately Billy didn’t see her. 

As COVID affected all of us so it did with AIMS as all our meetings were now online and under some new contraption called Zoom. At one of our first meetings, Billy appeared on the screen on Zoom all set an eager beaver, saying hello to everyone but wearing the biggest ear phones you can imagine. The image of Billy the Air Traffic controller, guiding planes into Johnston on the half acre near the church here passed through my mind. When we got back to meetings in person Billy was always there but as I tried to conduct the meeting as the National Secretary there was always this undercurrent of chitter chattering as Billy caught up with what was happening elsewhere around the country.

We got to know Billy better during the time he was being treated in St Luke’s in Rathgar some years back. He walked down to my own school in St Marys in Rathmines and we went for a quick coffee but Billy would always visit our school chapel to pray for an intention, for his family, for his friends going tough times. His faith was so important to him.

And as we send Billy home to his resting place I go back again to one of his favourite composers Romberg and another operetta and film The Student Prince and a famous opera singer Mario Lanza singing this song at the burial coffin of his father.

I'll walk with god From this day on His helping hand I'll lean upon This is my prayer my humble plea May the Lord be ever with me

There is no death though eyes grow dim There is no fear when I'm near to him I'll lean on him forever  And he'll forsake me never 

He will not fail me as long as my faith is strong Whatever road I may walk along I'll walk with God I'll take his hand I'll talk with God he'll understand I'll pray to him Each day to him 

And he'll hear the words that I say His hand will guide my throne and rod And I'll never walk alone While I walk with God

Billy sleep well with the saints and the angels. " Frank Foley, AIMS National Secretary

https://rip.ie/death-notice/william-billy-holmes-kilkenny-johnstown-557433 - The Book of Condolences is open on RIP.ie if you'd like to share some thoughts or memories.

Billy Holmes being comforted by AIMS President Olive Melville afte receiving his Mary Kelly 'Unsung Hero' award in 2014