Stamullen

PAM’S SPECIAL VISIT ALL THE WAY FROM AUSTRALIA

Pam Sassella-Matthews, lifetime partner of the late Patrick Matthews, paid her first visit to Patrick`s ancestral home at Gormanston and Stamullen last week (inset).

Patrick sadly passed away back in June 2009 at the young age of just 55 years old. He was the son of Patrick (Pad) and Ann Matthews. His father, also called Patrick or Pad, was originally born at the Camp Lane in Gormanston in 1913.

The eldest of the Matthews family from the Camp lane, Pad left Gormanston at the young age of 16 years in 1929 and emigrated to Bungendore, near Canberra to reside with his aunt; his dad`s older sister Elizabeth (Lizzie) who had emigrated down under in the later 1880`s and had married a man named Bernard Cunningham.

Lizzie and Bernard owned a sheep-farm of over 500 acres of land when Pad arrived there in the late 1920`s and he continued to run it until his own untimely death in 1973 at the age of 60 years; his aunt Lizzie having passed away in April 1953 at the age of 89 years, while her husband Bernard Cunningham had passed away three years earlier in April 1950.

Incidentally, there is a road called `Matthews Road` named after the family in Bungendore. Pad and Ann had also a daughter, Colleen, sister to Patrick who continues to reside in Australia today.

So, last week the late Patrick`s life-long partner, Pam, along with her sister Jan, arrived in Stamullen and paid a visit to the Matthews homestead at the Camp Lane in Gormanston before joining another member of the Matthews family, (yours truly), Community Historian Brendan Matthews in Stamullen where a lot of the Matthews family history and genealogy was discussed with documents, certificates, old Mass cards, photos, family tales, etc.

We were also joined in Stamullen by John, Sheila and Mary Morgan, whose mother was another member of the family, the late Maureen Morgan, nee Matthews.

The aforementioned John Morgan, who resides in Rowlestown Co. Dublin is the father of Eoin Morgan the English Cricket Captain. Sadly, Pam`s partner, the late Patrick Matthews never made it home to Ireland and so the trip back to the `old-sod` was of course tinged with a little sadness and emotion.

In 1951, another member of the Matthews family left Ireland for Australia. Brendan Matthews, Pad`s brother, subsequently became Groomsman at Pad`s wedding in 1952 in New South Wales. Brendan then moved on to settle in Sydney where he passed away in 2015. Following Pad`s wedding, he and his new bride returned to Ireland to spend their honeymoon and an article published by the Drogheda Independent, dated April 12th 1952 recorded the following.

` On Honeymoon in Gormanston: Exile home after 23 years. After an absence of twenty-three years in Australia, Mr. Patrick Matthews, eldest son of Mrs. J. Matthews and the late Joseph Matthews has returned home to Gormanston on a honeymoon holiday. His bride was formerly Miss Ann Corrigan, second eldest daughter of Mr. E. Corrigan, Port Macquarie, New South Wales.

‘The wedding took place at St. James` Church, Glebe, Sydney, with nuptial Mass and Papal Blessing, the ceremony being performed by Rev. Father John Dineen P.P. Kempsey, North Coast, N.S.W. and a native of Co. Kerry.

‘The bridesmaids were misses Patricia Corrigan, Betty Donnelly and Dorothy Huber, while the flower-girl was little Barbara Corrigan. Each wore a frock of green and lemon marquisette over taffeta, with picture hats of the same material. Mr. Eric Reid was Best Man; the Groomsmen being Mr. Brendan Matthews and Mr. Bernard Coughlan. Master Jimmy Corrigan acted as page`.

COMMUNITY GAMES - DRAUGHTS

Duleek-Bellewstown Community Games draughts training is back. Mondays 6-7pm in the prayer rooms, Duleek at under/10, under/12 and under/14 levels. All welcome. For further information please contact Mary on 087-2232533.

BELLEWSTOWN P & P

The Captains (Marie Black & Martin Flood will have their day on Satureday 14th October and that evening the annual dinner dance will be held in the Bellewstown Inn. Please put your name on the sheet in the clubhouse if you are attending the dinner as we have to finalise numbers.

BLOTTO

Wednesday 27th September. Numbers drawn were 03-07-25-28-29. There was no winner so the Jackpot next week will be €2,000. The €10 winners were Stephen, Donna & Elaine; Denise Fanthorpe; Daniel Brannigan; Vera Duffy; Tommy Costello; Angela Bellew.