Person Page - 3

Albert John Wheeler was born on 13 April 1864.¹

Albert John Wheelerwore a kilt in the Army.²

Albert John Wheeler married Nellie (?)²

Albert John Wheeler died on 16 October (Ruth didn't record the year.)¹

Albert John Wheeler lived lived in Plumstead.²

James Ernest Wheeler was born on 16 May 1865.¹

John Robert Parker was born circa 1828. (age deduced from age at death.)¹

John Robert Parker married Ellen Kett on 22 November 1857 at St Pancras Church.^1,2,3,4

John Robert Parker was a Railway Worker.⁵

John Robert Parker and Ellen Kett lived in Pest, Hungary.⁵

John Robert Parker died on 10 September 1872 at Pest, Hungary, aged 44 years from 'flu.^1,3,5 He was buried on 12 September 1872 at Alt Ofen, Pest, Hungary.²

Ellen Kett was born circa 1836.¹

Ellen Kettcame from Thetford.^1,3

Ellen Kett married John Robert Parker on 22 November 1857 at St Pancras Church.^1,2,3,4

Ellen Kett and John Robert Parker lived in Pest, Hungary.⁵

Ellen Kett died in August 1873 at Alt Ofen or Ofero, Pest, Hungary, aged 42 years, from 'flu.^1,2,3,5

John George Parker was born on 14 October 1858.^1,2,3

John George Parker died on 16 October 1858 at 2 days old.^1,2,3

Ellen Parker, daughter of John Robert Parker and Ellen Kett, was born on 30 September 1859.^1,3,2

Ellen Parker lived with John Robert Parker and Ellen Kett in Pest, Hungary.⁴

Rosa Parker was born on 12 July 1866.^1,3,2

Rosa Parker lived with John Robert Parker and Ellen Kett in Pest, Hungary.⁴

Rosa Parker died on 24 October 1872, at age 6, in Alt Ofen, Pest, Hungary, from 'flu.^1,2,4 She was buried on 25 October 1872 at Alt Ofen, Pest, Hungary.³

John Pickard was a Labourer in 4 March 1836.^1,4

John Pickard married Ann Wilkins, daughter of George Wilkins and Ann Harding.^1,5,2

Ann Wilkins was baptised circa 1836 in Weybridge.^1,2,3,4 She was born on 4 March 1836.^1,2,3,4

Ann was listed in the birthday book of Ann Harding; a bible.

It is inscribed at the front:

Ann Harding her book July 19th 1816 Ann Harding was born March 5th 1808.

Inscribed later:

George Wilking and Ann Harding married at Stoke Church Surrey January 19, 1834
George James Wilkins Born Dec 19th 1834: Ann Wilkins born March 4th 1836. Christened at Weybridge
Mary Wilkins born December 28th 1839. Christened at Stoke next Sandford (?)
George James Wilkins died June 14th 1839 aged 4 years and 6 months. Buried at St Mary's Guildford
James William Wilkins born October 9th 1841. Christened at Richmond
John Edwin Wilkins born November 26 1843. Christened at Richmond
George Wilkins died October 28th 1849 aged 36 years (this part crossed out)
Ann Wilkins died November 7th 1849 aged 41 years and 8 months

Inscribed at the back:

Mrs J Pickard Whitstone (probably meant to be Whitestone) Exeter Devon.⁴

Ann Wilkins married John Pickard.^1,2,3

Note: She had a bible which was seen by Ruth Shaw and referred to in her papers.⁵

Hannagh O'Shea married James Kennedy, son of Patrick Kennedy and Mary Kehoe; the marriage was without issue.^1,3

Hannagh O'Shea lived at Butterbridge, New Ross.¹

Elizabeth Mary Mooney, daughter of Andrew Martin Mooney and Catherine Mary Buckley, was born on 5 February 1916 at 15 Ardmore Avenue, Dublin, which was her grandmother's house^6,3,5 and she was baptised at the RC Church, Aughrim Street, Dublin. Her sponsors were Uncle Willie and Auntie Maggie.⁷ She was named after her grandmother, Elizabeth Buckley, but throughout her life she was called Lila by her family and friends.⁸ After a short stay in Dublin her mother returned home^6,3 to Ballinrobe, Co Mayo, where her husband was serving with the Royal Irish Constabulary.^9,3

Lila first attended school about 1922 at the kindergarten next door to where her family lived in The Strand, Dublin. Her next school was the Institute of Charity which was a National School in nearby Sandymount.³

About the family moved to Charleville Cottage, Ballyorney, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, which became the family home. It was quite a large house which her father initially rented from Lord Monck's estate but he was eventually able to buy it.^10,11,12 After the family moved to to Enniskerry she attended the National School there.³

Elizabeth Mary Mooney rmade her First Holy Communion on 8 December 1924.¹³ When she was about twelve years old she went to school at the Brigidine Convent in Tullow with her sister May as boarders for seven years.³

Elizabeth Mary Mooney was confirmed on 6 June 1926.¹³ She was nineteen years old when she finally left school the Brigidine Convent in Tullow in 1935.³ Lila spent some time in the Gaeltacht, which was known as The Ring, with her sister May and her brother Jack. On their way home they visited their Aunt Jo (Mary Josephine Mooney) in New Ross, also in Co Wexford, for about a week.¹⁴

Lila wanted to become a nun after leaving school but her father was opposed to it. Instead, he sent her to a secretarial college in Dublin. He must have changed his mind for she become a postulant. It was normal at that time to be a postulant for about six months but Lila did longer. In the group of five postulants who joined together were two girls who were studying for school exams so the group did an extra six months whilst their exams were completed at the Brigidine Convent, Tullow.^15,3,16,17 She entered the Novitiate on 8 August 1936^3,16,17 received her habit and white veil on 18 July 1937.¹⁷

Lila, after a further two years preparation made her first religious profession on 16 August 1939 receiving her black veil at the age of twentythree.^3,16,17

Her father went to visit her on 16 August 1939. We cannot know why he made the journey from Dublin but we can only hope that it was to wish Lila well in her chosen career and to mend any ill feeling which may have existed between them arising from his earlier opposition to her becoming a nun.¹⁷ Lila made her final profession in 1942 and stayed in the Tullow community to teach at the boarding school attached to the convent. Some of the subjects she taught were; Secretarial, Science, Nature Studies, Domestic Science, Cookery and Needlework. She was the games mistress too.^3,15,16

Elizabeth Mary Mooney had taken the religious name as Colette and was now known as^4,18,19 Mother Colette which was the normal style of address for teachers in The Brigidine Order. The Order changed this practice at some point, probably in the 60s or 70s, and henceforth all its members were called Sister.^4,18,19 Lila now became Sister Colette^4,18,19 and her four companion postulants became Sisters Cathaldus (Dooley), Therese (Flanigan), Camillus (O'Donnell) and Peter (Tracey.)^3,16

In 1957 Sister Colette was sent to San Antonio, Texas, where she taught for a year^3,20,16 and in 1958 she returned to teach at another secondary schoolat Mountrath, Co Laois. This was a school similar to the one she had previously worked at in Tullow and she remained there for another year when,^3,16 she was sent to teachat Denbigh in North Wales. She used to go to Italy a lot with the pupils on what she called 'fun trips'. She would go at Easter and she travelled up and down both coasts over the years. On one trip she spent three days on Capri.^15,3,16

By now it was twentyfive years since she made her first religious profession and she celebrated her Silver Jubileein Denbigh.^3,20,16

In 1973 she attended a diploma course at Maynooth in religion and returned^3,16 to Denbigh afterwards. By now she had ceased to teach Cookery and Domestic Science and was teaching the students how to run the library and in her final years she also taught Crafts. Apart from the diploma course the only other time she had away from Denbigh was when she returned home to nurse her mother for a year or so before, sadly, her mother passed away.^3,16

In 1980 she attended a cookery course at Tourmakeady, Co Mayo, with eleven other nuns.²¹

On 16 August 1989 Sister celebrated her Golden Anniversary of becoming a Brigidine Nun at the Brigidine Convent, Abbeyleix. Sisters Cathaldus and Therese of her novitiate class who joined at the same time were also present but sadly two others weren't there; Sister Camillus had died and Sister Peter was unable to attend.¹⁶

Sister Colette left Denbigh in1990 and^3,16 at the Beaumont Centrefor disadvantaged boys run by the Franciscans. When the working wife of the superintendent became pregnant, Sister Colette was sent there 3 or 4 times a week to help with the teaching. The boys were all from Dublin and had been put out of their homes.. Sister Colette recalled that they were keen to learn and that their accomodation was beautiful. She became good friends of the superintendent and his wife and they kept up a correspondence ever since.^3,16 In 1992 her brother Andy died and her sister May was now on her own. May was still active but nevertheless Sister Colette went to live at a small convent at 2 Dartmouth Road, Dublin to be near her. She didn't mind the crowds of people but she said it wouldn't be her own choice to live in a city although she liked meeting the people on the buses and in the streets as she travelled around.^3,16

In 2003 Andrew James Mooney arranged for a new headstone to be erected over the family grave at Kilmacanogue to record all five people who were buried there together with Frank Mooney who was buried in London. Later, Elizabeth Mary Mooney (Sr Colette) and John Mooney were added. Elizabeth Mary Mooney is commemorated on the headstone together with Andrew Martin Mooney, Catherine Mary Mooney, Andrew Martin Mooney, Joseph Francis Mooney, May Mooney, Sarah Linnane and Jack Mooney.^22,23

During the summer of 2003, at the age of 87, Sister Colette decided that the time had arrived to leave the hustle and bustle of Dublin and go back to the convent¹ at Tullow where she would have an easier life. She said it was getting increasingly difficult to get about the city. She liked to go to Mass but this involved a bus trip across the city taking half an hour with all that entailed in waiting at bus stops and climbing on and off the busses. People were kind and considerate to her she said but it was still a tiring journey and she felt she was beginning to get too weak for it all. She sent most of her belongings ahead and travelled herself on 8 September 2003 , her 86th anniversary of joining the Order. Sister Colette was glad to be back in the community of nuns again and to enjoy the relative peace and quiet after living in the city.¹

On 6 October 2003, less than a full month since Lila returned to the convent, Sister Colette became ill. Julie Dorgan sent an email to Tony Mooney which said:

I'm not sure if you heard but my Dad got a phone call from his sister Sheila who lives in Dublin and she told him that Sister Lila Mooney was not very well at the moment and as far as she knew was in hospital in Kilkenny. That was the story on Friday evening so I am not sure of the present position whether she is still in hospital or what. I think Sheila kept in contact with Lila over the years. If I hear anything further I will let you know. Mum and Dad still talk about her and how happy she was when she got to visit Grennan.¹

Tony recalled:

I phoned the convent and Sister Martha told me that Lila was in St Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny and was quite ill but she couldn't give me the full details. Later, I spoke to Sister Elizabeth, the nun in charge at Tullow and who was with Lila earlier in he day, and she told me the whole story.

About a week after arriving at Tullow, she noticed that Lila appeared quite slow and it was arranged for her to see the local doctor who cares for the convent. Nothing came of it as Lila, noticing that the doctor was from Iraq, discussed the situation in Iraq with him and said little about herself. A week or so later Lila was sent to see him again as she was not returning to normal. This time she got a thorough check-up and the doctor arranged for her to go into hospital for some tests. This is why she was in hospital when Sheila heard about it. By Friday 3 October all the tests were completed and Lila was informed that she had extensive cancer throughout her body especially in both lungs, her kidneys and her liver. Sister Elizabeth said that Lila said she wanted no-one to be told except her nephew Andrew in Chicago and he had arrived the next day. I spoke to the nurse on the ward and she confirmed how ill Lila was. The next day saw no improvement when I again spoke to Sister Elizabeth and the ward and Judith and I decided we would go over to Ireland for a week to spend some time with Lila. We arrived at the hospital about 6.30 p.m. on the next day to discover that Lila had passed away peacefully about two hours before. I spent some time with Lila who had, in such a short time, been beautifully arranged in her bed for any visitors who might come. Andrew, Sister Martha and Sister Theresa, the Provincial, were also there and it was good to meet them, especially Andrew.^1,24

Sister Colette Mooney died on 8 October 2003 at age 87 at St Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny, Co Kilkenny. She passed away peacefully at about 4.30 p.m. Sister Theresa said that Lila knew she was dying and was happy in the knowledge that she was going to be with God in Heaven whom she had served all her life.²⁴

An entry as follows below appeared in the Irish Independent:

MOONEY (Brigidine Convent, Tullow, Co. Carlow) - Oct. 8, 2003 at St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny, Sr. Colette; deeply regretted by her brother John, sister-in-law Anne, nephew Andrew, niece-in-law Mary, Brigidine Sisters, relatives and friends. R.I.P. Reposing at Brigidine Convent, Tullow. Removal this (Thursday) evening at 6.45 o'c., to the Church of the Most Holy Rosary, Tullow. Funeral after 2 o'c. Mass tomorrow (Friday) to the Convent Cemetary.²⁵

The next day a 'wake' was held at the Convent at 1 p.m. It wasn't called a wake but Sister Colette's body was placed at rest in the chapel for anyone to visit her and pay their respects. A grand lunch was laid on and many people attended.

Tony recalled:

It was a very warm occasion and we met many more of the nuns and some of her ex-pupils. Everyone was sad at her death but also pleased that she was now with God.

Later in the day, at 6.45 p.m., a rosary service was held in the chapel celebrated by Father Rory Nolan the curate. Again the service was well-attended and many went up to the open coffin to spend a moment or two with Sister Colette.

Tony recalled:

After the rosary the coffin was closed and placed on a wheeled bier and four of us wheeled it across to the parish church next door with the whole congregation in procession behind us.

In the church some prayers were said and the coffin, surrounded by beautiful bouquets of colourful flowers, was left to await the funeral service.^24,25 She was buried on 10 October 2003 in the cemetary in the grounds of the Brigidine Convent, Tullow after a Eucharistic Celebration in the Parish Church of the Most Holy Rosary which started at 2 p.m.

The church service was in the modern style of Irish Roman Catholic churches; simple, religious and spiritual. The mass was celebrated by Monsignor Brendan Byrne (parish priest Tullow) who was assisted by Father Lynch the parish priest from Kilmacanogue and Father Peter Byrne who was visiting the convent. The service was simple and said facing the congregation and spoken in English. The organ played simple music and the choir sang beautifully.

The coffin stood in the same place as on the evening before and the choir sang one of Tony's favourite pieces Jesus remember me as the clergy made their entrance. After some prayers Mary, Andrew's wife, made the first reading and followed it with a psalm. Tony made the second reading and then read a short piece between two renderings of Alleluia, alleluia by the choir.

Tony recalled:

It was all very moving as we both watched from the alter and then returned together to our places.

Further prayers followed and then more readings from; Sister, Bridget Fleming (Dublin), Judith, Sister Kathleen Campion (Denbigh), Sister Elizabeth Kelly (Denbigh), Brenda Fitzpatrick (Dublin) and Sister Cathaldus (Tullow), Lila's lifelong friend and fellow postulant all those years before.

After the congregation took communion, which was served by both priests and female assistants, Sister Michele Vaughan of Tullow, who had been the Headmistress at Denbigh during Lila's time there, read this prayer:

For each of us, life is a journey.
Birth is the beginning of this journey,
and death is not the end, but the destination.
It is a journey that takes us from youth to age,
from innocence to awareness,
from ignorance to knowledge,
from foolishness to wisdom,
from weakness to strength, and often back again,
from offence to forgiveness,
from loneliness to friendship,
from pain to compassion,
from fear to faith,
from defeat to victory and from victory to defeat.
Until, looking backward or ahead, we see that victory does not lie
at some high point along the way
but in having made the journey,
stage by stage

Andrew spoke next about his aunt and her life and what it had meant. It was a moving address and captured for Tony everything he thought of Lila and his love for her too. Andrew's words were simple but echoed the feelings and emotions of the congregation. He said:

As my new-found cousin - Tony Mooney - and many of you here know, my Aunt Lila, Sister Colette, was a terrible backseat driver. Despite this one foible, she was also the kindest, simplest and most generous person I've ever known. As my wife said to me last night, Lila had an extraordinary way about her. Even with strangers - perhaps especially with strangers - she had a way of making you think you were in the middle of a long conversation with someone who was truly curious and who truly cared about you. And the fact is, she was and did. As I reflected on this, two questions came to mind. The first was how Lila came to be this way; the second, what significance it has for the rest of us. The answer to the first question, how Lila became what she was, has been answered for me in abundance over the last few days as I've been in the company of Sisters Theresa, Elizabeth, Concepta, Mary and all of you here. Lila clearly embraced the Brigidine traditions of generosity, simplicity and faith, and made them very much her own. The answer to the second question, Lila's significance, also came to me as a I listened carefully to all the stories I've heard about her over these last few days. Lila, Colette, was not a rock-and-roll star, but like a star she reached an extraordinary number of people through the course of her life. And all of those people - who will in turn pass along Lila's significance to others - uniformly witness that they have become better people, better human beings, because of Lila's touch.

Now that I think about it, I might have been a bit too hasty in my original comment about Lila. At the end of the day, she wasn't such a bad backseat driver after all.

On behalf of my father John, and my mother Anne, my wife Mary, my cousins Tony and his wife Judith, and Sheila Fitzpatrick and her daughters, we want to thank all of you for what you've done for Lila and for us all over these last few weeks and indeed throughout her long and wonderful life.

Then came the recessional hymn followed by the procession from the church to the graveside when again Andrew and Tony with two young men from Dublin wheeled the coffin on its bier through the grounds of the church and convent. More prayers were said and the four of us lowered the coffin into the grave which was then covered in landscaped boards. There next followed some prayers and a hymn and the burial service ended.

The nuns laid on a grand meal which most people attended and Andrew, Mary, Judith and Tony were able to meet most of them and offer their thanks for their coming to be with Lila. Apart from Brigidine Nuns from many parts of Ireland, many of Lila's students and friends from Tullow were present including:

Eddie and Lillie Doyle from Ballyorney, Enniskerry
Eta Townsend from Enniskerry
Sheila Fitzpatrick Dublin (Dermot's sister)
Claire and Brenda Fitzpatrick (Sheila's daughters)

Gradually people left with both sadness and joy in their hearts.^24,26

The Provincial, Sister Elizabeth, received emails from Texas USA, Victoria Australia, Masterton and New Zealand and there were many notes of sympathy which came with the flowers that had been sent.

Here are a few random extracts:

... she was so alive and alert in the summer ... her generous spirit and willingness to serve ... with a twinkle in her eye ... who loved her work ... woman of deep faith ... kindness ... cherish her memory ... a good friend and neighbour ... she was a great woman ... her life of loving service ... may she rest eternally in peace ...²⁴

A memory card for Sister Colette was distributed by the convent in December 2003. It has a lovely smiling photo of her in her nun's habit. She looks about 45 (sic) years old and her face is full of joy.²⁷

Paddy Mooney remembered her well. He said:

Dad took me out, probably in 1954, on the back of his motorbike on the only day I can remember having a day off school. We went to visit in Enniskerry. The house had a gravel driveway with bamboo growing in the garden. I had never seen bamboo growing like that before. We took some home on the motorbike. Lila was about 45 but looked 25. I met her again in North Wales when I went there with Maureen, Tony and my girlfriend Mary.²⁸

As part of their bicentenary celebrations, the Brigidine Sisters decided to hold a remembrance service on 4 November 2007 for all the nuns who were buried in the convent cemetery. An invitation addressed to 'the family of the late Sister Colette Mooney' was given to Tony Mooney in September 2007 when he and Judith visited the convent to see Lila's grave marker. The sisters also gave him a list of names and addresses from Lila's file for him to ring round and invite to the service. He was happy to do this and contacted them all inclusing Nancy Buckley from Dublin. Sadly, he and Judith were unable to attend the celebrations themselves.²⁹

A Brigidine Nun.^3,16

(?) McGrath lived at Ballyhogue, Bree, Enniscorthy.¹

(?) McGrath married Thomas Kehoe.²

Dennis Kehoe died in Melbourne.¹

Johanna Kehoe was born in 1851.³

Johanna Kehoe married Clement Doyle.¹

Johanna Kehoe died on 16 August 1925 aged 74.³ She was buried in Bree Cemetery.⁴

Clement Doyle was born in 1841.²

Clement Doyle lived at Garrenstackle, Bree.^1,3

Clement Doyle married Johanna Kehoe, daughter of Thomas Kehoe and (?) McGrath.¹

Clement Doyle died on 24 August 1903 at Garrenstackle, Bree, aged 62.²

John Doyle was born in 1879.²

John Doyle married Mary? Cowman.³

John Doyle died on 22 May 1965 aged 86 years.²

Clement Doyle was born in 1882.²

Clement Doyle died on 29 November 1945 aged 63 years.²

Catherine Doyle was also known as Kate.²

Catherine Doyle married Laurence Kinsella.¹

Catherine Doyle died on 12 June 1961.²

Laurence Kinsellacame from Ballyhague.¹

Laurence Kinsella married Catherine Doyle, daughter of Clement Doyle and Johanna Kehoe.¹

Bridget Doyle was born in 1885.²

Bridget Doyle died on 27 December 1974 at Garrenstackle, Ballyhogue, Co Wexford, aged 89 years.²

Tom Doyle, son of Clement Doyle and Johanna Kehoe, was born in 1884. His twin sister was Mary Doyle.^2,1 Tom Doyle was also known as Tearing Tom.³ He was a famous footballer³ and lived in Bree.³

Tom Doyle died on 2 June 1974 aged 90 years.²

Mary Doyle, daughter of Clement Doyle and Johanna Kehoe, was born a twin in 1884. Her twin brother was Tom Doyle.^2,1

Mary Doyle died on 30 November 1957.² She was buried in December 1957 in Bree Cemetery.²

Johanna Doyle was born in 1887.² Johanna Doyle also went by the name of Jo.³

Johanna Doyle married Patrick O'Hanlon, son of (?) (?).¹

Mary Josephine Kennedy witnessed an agreement between Mary Josephine Mooney and the Customs and Excise to rent them a ground floor room at 9 South Street, New Ross, Co Wexford, Ireland.^4,5

Johanna Doyle was a Milliner in 19 October 1931.⁴

Johanna Doyle died on 1 November 1976 aged 89 years.^2,3

Anastasia Doyle died on 7 January 1969.²

Margaret Doyle also went by the name of Maggie.¹

Margaret Doyle lived in South Street, New Ross.¹

Margaret Doyle died on 27 March 1959.²

Patrick O'Hanlonprobbably came from New Ross, Co Wexford, Ireland.¹

Patrick O'Hanlon married Johanna Doyle, daughter of Clement Doyle and Johanna Kehoe.¹

Patrick O'Hanlon died on 9 July 1926 at South Street, New Ross, aged 37 years.³ He was buried in St Stephen's Cemetery, New Ross, Co Wexford, Ireland. The headstone is inscribed:

Erected in loving memory of
Patrick O'Hanlon, South St. New Ross
who died 9th July 1926 aged 37 years
also his 2 children who died in
infancy and his daughter Josie O'Hanlon
who died 31th Jan 1944 aged 24 years
also his beloved wife Johanna O'Hanlon
who died 1st Nov 1976 aged 89 years.³

Dennis Doyle married Margaret Breen.²