From Rokeby to Colpe, nuns who served the Sienna with devotion
THE Sienna development off Francis Street is delightfully situated in an historic part of the town.
It was for years a convent of course and the hallmarks of that era can be seen all around the place.
But the most peaceful recollection of a past era is the graveyard, situated in the centre of the development.
It goes back many decades and features so many names, all etched on marble tablets.
But from time to time, I intend to bring some of those names to the fore again, maybe for present descendants to take note.
They all had their own stories too. Mother M Columba Murray died on Good Friday 1937 at the age of 93. She spent 80 years within the walls of the Siena as she had been placed there at school at the age of 13, shortly after the death of her parents.
She was the eldest daughter of Thomas Murray, Esq., of Mullingar, and niece of the Right Rev. Dr. J. J. Carbery, O.P., Bishop of Hamilton, U.S.A. Her only brother entered the Augustinian Order and died in 1914. Her two sisters also embraced the religious life and predeceased her—Rev. Mother M. Imelda of the Mercy Convent, Ennis, and Sr. M. de Sales, who passed away at an early age in the Siena Convent. Fr. Thomas Wheeler, SJ., and Father A. Wheeler, O.P., were her first cousins.
A few hours before she died she said slowly and distinctly:—” The only matter that counts for every human being at the hour of death is that one has lived one’s life for God and worked for Him and His interests. I shall ask Him when I reach Heaven to grant to every member of this Community the peaceful happy death He is now granting me.”
1937 also saw the death of Sister Mary Baptist Ussher at the age of 78.
She had been 51 years in Religious life, was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Ussher of Pleasure Hill, Monasterboice, Drogheda, and entered the Siena Cnovent in Drogheda.
As porteress she was known to very many and by her kindness endeared herself to all—both the members of the community and the visitors. A numbers of her relations were also in religious life including Sr. Josephine in the Redemptoristine Order, Sr. Stephens in the Cross and Passion Order in Kildare, Sr. Teresa in Rugby, Sr. Antony in the Good Shepherds’ Order in Dublin and Sr. Antony. She was also a cousin of Rev. Fr. Ussher.
She was survived by two brothers in Scotland and a sister, Mrs. Dolan of Ballymakenny.
Colpe native Sister M. Osanna Carthy passed away in 1936.
Sr. Carthy was born of a respectable family in Colpe on 2nd June, 1859. She entered Siena Convent and was professed on the 10th August, 1886 .The greater part of her life was spent with the sick and delicate Sisters of the Convent, to whom she was very devoted.
Sister Lucy Kearney, who died on Holy Thursday in 1932, was one of the oldest members of the Dominican Community in Drogheda and was in religion as a lay sister for 45 years, She was a native of Rokeby Hall, Dunleer, her family having lived on Sir John Robinson’s estate for many generations. She was educated at the former Siena Convent School. She was an aunt of Sister Bernadette of the Convent of Mercy, Ardee, and of Rev. Father Bailey, Devenport, England.
The chief mourners were: Mr. and Mrs. Bailey, Dundalk; Mr. and Mrs. Breen, Drogheda, Mr. and Mrs. Bailey, Drogheda and Mrs. Bailey, Drogheda.
Catherine Goodwin died in 1931 and was a native of County Meath and was aged 57.
Kate Welply is also named on the list of the dead. She was not married and died on the 10th day of January. 1934, at the Sienna Convent.