Stamullen
TRAFFIC HAZARDS
Parking on the footpath opposite the shops in Stamullen village is not only causing an obstruction to a section of the residents of the La Mare estate and entrance to St. Patricks` Graveyard, but it is also a huge and very dangerous obstruction to pedestrians and, in particular, to wheelchair users.
Arrogant motorists, who cannot find a parking space on the side of the local shops, will then blatantly cross to the opposite side of the busy village road, mount and block the entire busy footpath and will then cross back over the road on foot to the shops without a care in the world. Many other motorists are also blatantly ignoring the yield-right-of-way sign at the end of the Cockhill Road into the village and onto the Gormanston Road and are continuously pulling out in front of on-coming traffic!
MEALS ON WHEELS
The Annual General Meeting of the Stamullen & Julianstown Meals on Wheels took place on Wednesday January 24th last in the Glenside Hotel in Smithstown. The organisers of the local group would very much like to extend their most grateful thanks and appreciation to all of their volunteer drivers who have delivered some three-thousand meals over the past twelve months.
The meals are delivered every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the organisers stress that, without the great help of the said drivers, they would be unable to provide such a service within the community. Grateful thanks was also extended to the Chef, Staff and Management of the Glenside Hotel for all of their very hard work and commitment. Thanks and appreciation was also very much extended to all those who helped out and/or contributed donations to the Meals on Wheels over the past year and for their on-going and continued support for this wonderful charitable and local cause. Well done to all concerned. For more information, contact 085-7222068.
STAMULLEN ROAD CLUB
IT is with deep regret that we learned of the death of Gaybo Howard from the Stamullen cycling club last Friday. He was a wonderful official for the sport, locally and nationally, and our sympathy to Kay and all the family at this very sad time.
KNOW YOUR PARISH
The following notice appeared on page 7 of the Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette on Thursday October 5th 1933. `Lady Butler, the Painter, Writer and widow of Lieut.-General, Sir William Butler, was buried yesterday at the little hillside cemetery at the village of Stamullen in Co. Meath.
Before the funeral, one of her sons, the Rev. R.W. Butler, a Benedictine Priest and former Chaplain to the Brigade of Guards at the Somme, celebrated Requiem Mass at the Chapel of Gormanston Castle, the home of Lady Butler`s daughter, Lady Gormanston. Lieutenant-Colonel P.R. Butler, another son, served the Mass.
A score of her pictures, now hung at Gormanston have been bequeathed to the members of her family`.
The above-mentioned Lady Butler was a world-famous artist of the later 19th and early 20th century. Lady Elizabeth Butler was born in Lausanne, Switzerland in the year 1850.
Her parents being Christiana Weller, a famous concert pianist and Thomas James Thompson, an academic man with varied interest and who was a personal friend of Charles Dickens.
Elizabeth Butler had an older sister, Alice, who went on to be a renowned author and poet in her own right.
Lady Elizabeth first entered the South Kensington School of Art in London when she was only 19 years old before she moved on to Italy where she studied the Old Masters.
She had her first exhibition at the age of 23 which was held at the Royal Academy in London and where she exhibited her renowned painting titled, `Missing`, which was that of a military scene of battle. Many of Lady Butler`s paintings depicted soldiers in battle uniform, complete with weapons, etc. and were widely acclaimed wherever she held an exhibition.
In 1874, she exhibited her most famous work titled `The Roll Call`, again this was a military scene.
This painting became a huge success and was designated picture of the year. It was commissioned by a Manchester businessman and was eventually purchased by Queen Victoria. Other paintings included `Quatre Bras` (1875), `Balaclava` (1876), `Scotland For Ever`(1881) and `Steady The Drums and Fifes`(1896). Following the death of her husband, William Butler at Bansha in Co. Tipperary in 1910 and the subsequent marriage of her daughter Eileen to the 15th Viscount Gormanston, Edward Joseph Preston in 1911, Lady Elizabeth Butler moved to Gormanston Castle in 1921.
The simple little grave of Elizabeth Butler can be seen at Stamullen Graveyard in front of the Principal or East window of the ruins of St. Patrick`s medieval church and overlooking the road into Stamullen village, where it is visited by numerous people from all over the world every year. 2018 will mark the 85th anniversary of the great artist`s death.