father nally drives west

It was the eve of Father Nally's departure from Kilcullen.
A local garage proprietor Tommy Trinder had quietly undertaken a campaign to raise funds to buy the Padre a new car.
The fundraising had been successful.
Donations had been exceedingly generous when it was made clear to people that Father Nally would not be coming back.
Now the garage man was ready to present Father Nally with a checque sufficient to cover the cost of a new car plus one year's tax and insurance.
There was a general and quite reasonable expectation that the tough talking Northern priest would buy his car from a locally based garage before heading into the sunset.
A locally based garage.
Our town had a grand total of one such entity.
Father Nally was invited onto the podium in the town hall.
He pocketed the checque which Tommy Trinder proffered.
They shook hands.
Father Nally took the microphone and addressed the Kilcullen audience for the last time.
There was an expectant hush.
Would he choose to go out with a bang?
"Some of you will be pleased to see me go," Father Nally mused quietly. "May God forgive you."
I heard afterwards that he bought his new car in Galway.