Daughter pays tribute to late father, former Mayor of Derry Pat Devine

Earlier this week the family and friends of former Mayor and well known SDLP Councillor Pat Devine were welcomed to the Guildhall by Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Councillor Patricia Logue, for a special reception in his honour.

Pat was absolutely dedicated to serving the people of Derry and to creating a better future for everyone.

He will long be remembered for his courage, kindness and commitment.

At the reception in the Guildhall the following poem, written by Elizabeth O'Reilly in memory of her later father Pat, was read out.

Good night, God bless, sleep well tonight.

How precious are those words.

I still can hear him speak to me

And his music undisturbed.

My life if over now, he said

As he gently took my hand.

I looked at him but couldn't speak

Yet we both could understand.

Thank God for all the time we got.

Special moments I will never forget.

Thank God for conversations,

And thank God for no regrets.

Good night. God bless you, Mr. Devine,

God saw your tired eyes,

He quietly took you up to join

Your sweetheart Mrs. Devine.

Thank you for the quality time

You gave me through the years.

Thank you for the lessons learnt

And even for the tears.

The unconditional live you gave

I'll cherish all my life.

Thank you for your wisdom

And all the great advice.

Mum left this world three years ago

And we were not prepared.

We watched dad's heart break in two,

Many tears with him we shared.

Every night he prayed so hard

For God to take him home.

Back to mum's loving arms

To where he once belonged.

A scholar and a gentleman,

A father and much, much more.

Such a wealth of knowledge

Like I'd never seen before.

Dad loved this town of Derry,

So proud to call it home.

He sacrificed so much for it,

Sometimes standing on his own.

He fought for basic human rights,

His fight was honest and fair.

If someone had a problem,

My dad was always there.

His courage took my breath away

Of that I'm very proud.

And that's what made him special,

He stood out from the crowd.