THERE was sorrow and sadness at St. Patrick’s Church, Belleek, at the large Funeral Mass of the late Belleek businessman Peter Clarke, who passed away peacefully at the South West Acute Hospital, Enniskillen last Friday surrounded by his loving family.

Mr. Clarke had a private cremation in the Lakelands Crematorium, Cavan on Monday, followed by Funeral Mass on Tuesday.

His remains left the family home at 2.45pm to be brought to St. Patrick’s Church for one last time, as the people of Belleek and many of his former colleagues in Bundoran Golf Club and the Glendarragh Golf Society lined the street in honour of a man who did so much for the town he loved so well.

It was also fitting that the hearse stopped for a moment outside the iconic Thatch coffee shop, which he and his brother-in-law, Micheal McGrath, ran from 1994 to 2023, and turned it into one of the most famous premises in the county.

It also stopped outside the building formerly known as the Carlton Hotel, which he and Mr. McGrath ran from 1975 to 1986, and turned it into one of the top wedding and dinner dance venues in the north west.

If the definition of a gentleman is one who makes life easier for others and inflicts as little as possible pain on others, then Mr. Clarke was of that exceptional calibre, for he was a gentleman and a gentle man.

But he was also a very astute businessman with supreme emotional intelligence and had all the natural social skills of a born leader.

His vision, drive and acumen saw Mr. Clarke and Mr. McGrath buy the Carlton Hotel in 1975 and the very popular Tavern premises five years later.

At a time when Belleek and Northern Ireland was in the grip of The Troubles, and the Carlton had been devastated by a few bombs, such moves took real guts and determination.

But Mr. Clarke and Mr. McGrath made a real success out of both ventures and also started up Carlton Cottages in 1982.

Thus began a relationship with fishermen from Germany, Switzerland and Holland that continues until this day.

Mr. Clarke was born in the Isle of Man in 1948 and his father, Dr. Gerard Clarke, was a very popular GP in the area.

He went to Rockfield National School, Derryhallow Primary School and then to Clongowes Wood College, County Kildare.

One of his schoolmates was the late ex Fine Gael Taoiseach John Bruton, and Mr. Clarke played rugby for the college and was also a noted athlete before going to St. Joseph’s Teacher Training College in Belfast.

He got married to his Belleek neighbour, Maureen Chivers, in 1973 while still a student.

In those years, Mr. Clarke was a keen Raleigh driver and took part in competitions all over the island and competed in the Circuit of Ireland in 1970 where Mr. McGrath was his navigator.

He bought the then Carlton Hotel with Mr. Clarke, who was also a PE teacher in St. Mary’s Brollagh and Ballyshannon Vocational School, and also had a strong catering background.

Mr. McGrath is a gifted carpenter, which made for a great team.

The Carlton went from strength to strength in that period from 1975 to 1986, and one of its extras was to bring brides and bridegrooms up the river by boat to Roscor Bridge a few miles away, with the guests waving them off from the lawn, which was ideal for photos and videos, which were coming in at the time.

At its height, the Carlton Hotel employed up to 30 people and was doing between 60 and 70 weddings a year.

In early 1980, the hotel was firebombed, but undaunted, Mr. Clarke and Mr. McGrath carried on and that was the year they bought the Tavern public house in Belleek.

That same year, Belleek Chamber of Commerce was founded and Mr. Clarke was its first President.

It threw its weight behind a very successful Fiddlestone Festival in the village, which lasted for a week at its height.

In those heady days, UTV star Paul Clark ran a disco in the Carlton Hotel.

In 1982 and 1985, Mr. Clarke and Mr. McGrath built the Carlton Cottages and had a business behind the hotel looking after fishermen.

Mr. Clarke was also involved in dressing up for the first Old Fair Day, organised by Johnny Cunningham in 1987, and was also involved in the Cowboy Festival in 2010, which was a huge success also.

They also built 22 cottages in Rathmore and they went to trade shows all over Europe promoting Belleek.

In 1994 they opened the world-famous Thatch Coffee Shop with its trademark thatch roof and half door, which remains a big attraction in the Border village.

In other fields, Mr. Clarke was a former Captain and President of Bundoran Golf Club since he first joined in the 1960s.

His business acumen was a great help to the club and he was a keen rugby player, following the Irish team at every available opportunity.

But, above all else, he was a proud Belleek man.

Those who knew him will always remember him as an elegant, eloquent, quiet but extremely gifted man with a clear mind and vision for the verdant village on the banks of the Erne.

Nobody did more to put Belleek on the tourist map for almost 50 years and he was a wonderful ambassador. We will not see his likes again.

Mr. Clarke was the beloved husband of Maureen; much loved father of Roger (Katie), Jeanne (Gavin), and Rachel (Stephen); loving grandad of Charlie, Emily, Evie, Dara, Owen and Peter.

Family flowers only please; donations in lieu, if so desired, to Marie Curie - please make any cheques payable to the selected charity and send to Claude McKervey Funeral Director, 22 Erne Drive, Ederney, Co. Fermanagh BT93 0EN.

Very deeply regretted and sadly missed by his sorrowing wife, son, daughters, daughter-in-laws, son-in-laws, nieces, nephews and entire family circle.