NOVEMBER 1993
ugees from Vienna in Austria, following that country’s annexation by Germany. Through her involvement with the Catholic Refugee Committee and her contacts in London she gave these refugees temporary lodgings at Newtown until they moved on to Dublin, to a house at 17 Upper Pembroke St., which she had bought early in 1940 as meeting place for Austrian refugees in Ireland. It came to be called ‘ The Vienna Club’. All of the refugees had left Newtown by early 1941, save one, who worked locally until he left for Dublin in February 1945.
Mrs. Lentaigne, who lived mainly in England from 1942, put Newtown House and estate up for auction on 30th May 1945, with the Irish Tourist Board subsequently acquiring it for £15,000. The following year she returned to Ireland and bought a farm at Ballincarrig, Brittas Bay, Co. Wicklow, calling it ‘Strangers Folly’. In May 1956 and returned to live in London .
She died at Hendon, northwest London on the 9th April 1976. Requiem mass was held in St Mary of the Angels Church, Notting Hill Gate. After her death she had her body donated to St. Bartholomew’s hospital.
1. In a letter to the Drogheda Independent of 2nd March 1940 she states that she was a convert to Catholicism, which may have occurred around the time of her marriage, or later, in Ireland.
2. Local sources suggest February 1922 (An Grianan booklet) while Vida’s daughter Josephine in her book ‘ The Hidden Gem’ (1946) notes she bought it when she was thirtyi.e. 1926.
Twelve girls became the first guides when they made their promise on December 18,1968. Present for the occasion were Guide Commissioners Mrs. Stevenson, Mrs. Kerr, Guide Trainer Mrs. Ann Bowen, Monsignor Laverty, Fr. Tom Daly, parents and Guides. Ten years later, in 1978, these 12 Guides had grown in number to 180 Brownies and 175 Guides as well as five Rangers in the senior branch.
Throughout the years the annual camps nave been held mostly in Co. Cavan and also at Smarmore Castle and at Collon. Guides and Brownies have enjoyed indror holidays at Ozanam House in Mornington and at the lovely Townley Hall.
In the last decade, a Guide Cottage was aquired in County Cavan by the kind generousity of Mrs. Alison Hirchberg, a much loved guider. Since then, groups of guides, Brownies and Rangers use the cottage every summer and learn to love the adjoining woods and lakes.
THE first Girl Guides Company in Drogheda included Guide Captain Mrs. Nuala Mullen and the four Patrol Leaders, Mary Murray, Agnes Woods, Mary Connor and Concepta Byrne.