RTE broadcaster Joe Duffy's mother sadly passed away at the weekend.
In a statement, it was announced that the presenter's beloved mum Mabel, 92, died on Sunday afternoon in Kiltipper Woods Care Centre in Co Dublin, “surrounded by her loving family”.
The Liveline host’s agency, NK Management, announced the news on his behalf on social media, and shared a picture of Joe and his mother together.
The statement read: “It is with great sadness that NK Management announce the passing of Joe Duffy’s beloved mother, Mabel (92) on Sunday afternoon in Kiltipper Woods Care Centre surrounded by her loving family.”
Tributes have started pouring in for the mother of the stalwart presenter.
A family notice on RIP.ie describes her as ‘beloved wife to the late Jimmy, cherished mother of James, Joseph, Peter, Brendan and Pauline, predeceased by her youngest son Aidan (25).’.
It goes on: “Sadly, missed by her loving family, sisters Monica and Patsy, In-laws, Bernard, Stephen and Marie, nieces, nephews, friends and neighbours. Grandmother to Wayne, Geoffrey, Ciara, Ian, Emma, Darragh, Seana, Conor, Ellen, Seán, Ronan and her great-grandchildren.
Mabel will repose in Stafford's Funeral home, Ballyfermot, on Tuesday from 4pm to 6pm.
Her funeral will take place on Wednesday morning with a mass in St. Matthew's Church, Ballyfermot, followed by burial in Palmerstown Cemetery.
The sad news comes after Joe spoke of his concern for his 92-year-old mother, who was 'cocooned' in the family home in Ballyfermot during the height of the pandemic.
“My biggest fear right now is for my own mother who is 92 years of age and she is cocooned at home in Ballyfermot,” Joe told the Irish Mirror.
“She lives on her own and she is very mobile and she is handling it really well so far.
“She misses mass and not doing her Lotto and not getting her hair done or going to the local shop. So, she is managing but it is tough not being able to go into her.
“Unfortunately, a few of her friends have died from the same age group," he said.
“But she has no underlying conditions so we reckon that once she stays cocooned, she will be fine. It is the same for everyone and you worry about your parents.”
Joe has previously told how losing his younger brother Aidan in a car crash was the “single biggest wound” in his life, and recalled the heartbreaking moment he had to tell his beloved mother Mabel.
Speaking on the podcast, Human Nature presented by Rodney Edwards, Joe said: “He was 25 years of age. That is without doubt the single biggest wound in my life, is Aidan’s death.
“He was a good lad, he was a great worker, very bright, he was the youngest in our family and myself and my brother were talking about him the other day, we often talk about him.
“We were very close, and then he was killed in an awful tragedy."
The popular presenter was working on a different radio programme at the time and recalls hearing about the crash on the news bulletin that afternoon, before learning it was his own brother.
He said: “I remember hearing there’s been a tragic car accident in Maynooth and two people are dead, I said ‘oh my God’.
“And then at 3pm as I came upstairs the chaplain at RTE was sitting at my desk and I was wondering why he was there, and a few of my friends were there and they said ‘we’ve bad news, Aidan’s been killed in a car crash’.
“The hardest thing I ever had to do in all my living life was go up to tell my mother that Aidan was dead, that’s what I had to do.
"I still find it difficult to talk about it, to knock on the door and your mother opens and you have to tell her that her youngest son is dead. Her life changed forever that day.”
