FRIENDS FOR LIFE, AND BEYOND!

I have heard it said that in order to have a friend, one must be a friend.  If that is true, then Eileen Maher Hickey must have been a most excellent friend indeed!   I am happy to post the following article which I have received from Betty Simms.  I think it perfectly illustrates that ties of friendship can last a lifetime and longer.

 

"Some St Patrick's girls and friends of Eileen Hickey (nee Maher) gathered at Lucky's Restaurant on May 27th to honour Eileen on her Birthday.  Eileen, who passed away in April, always enjoyed going out to lunch with the girls."

 

Friends who gathered to honour the late Eileen Maher Hickey
on her Birthday

 

 

"The St Patrick's girls in the picture are Doreen Noseworthy (Walsh), Mary Kennedy, Maureen Sullivan, Betty Simms, Marina Grace, Bernadette Moyse (Grouchy), Alice Flynn (Hennessey), Jenny Finlay, Bernice Devereaux (Rose) and Bride Ryan (Colbert).  Dot and Nettie are long time friends of Eileen's."

 

Betty has sent us the Order of Service Sheet from Eileen's funeral.  It includes a beautiful and very touching poem written by Eileen's son, Martin.

 

 

Page 1, Order of Service. 
Note Martin's  touching poem.

 

 



Page 2. 

 

Page 3.  
Family and friends have all 
played a part in Eileen's Funeral

 

 

Page 4

 

 

Thank you, Betty, for sharing this with us.  We have lost a great friend in Eileen and we will miss her very much.  But, oh, the happy memories she has left us!  Rest in peace, dear Eileen, our friend for life, and beyond.

IN THE LIBRARY WITH SR REDEMPTA

We have two interesting pictures today.   Both pictures were taken in the Library at St Patrick's Convent School.  Sr Redempta O'Brien was the Librarian and she is in both pictures.  WHO ARE THE GIRLS IN THE FIRST PICTURE?

 

Sr Redempta O'Brien and some
happy looking girls in the Library

 

 

 

This first photo comes from Presentation Archives.  The details are scant but we know it is Sr Redempta O'Brien, who was Librarian at St Patrick's for much of the 1970s & early 1980s.  We also know the picture was taken in the Library.  Did Sr Redempta conduct classes in the Library or was this some sort of special project?  Do you have any information about this photo?  Do you know anyone here?  Please get in touch with us at mcallistersmith@gmail.com if you can tell us anything about this photo.  (The uniforms have certainly improved since the 1950s!)

 

This second photo is from the 1979 Yearbook and we are fortunate  to have the names of the girls who, according to the Yearbook, are Library Aides.

 

Sr Redempta and Library Aides

 

 

 

SEATED L-R: 

L Maher, B Ducey, E Thomas, B Carew, R A Gillingham, H Gushue, E Efford

 

STANDING L-R:

C Flynn, M Moores, L Hickey, K Noftall, N Mulrooney, P Carew, C A Carroll, C Ryan, S Francis, Sr Mary Redempta

 

I hope the two pictures bring back some good memories for you.  Don't forget, we LOVE to have your comments and recollections so if you are in the pictures, if you know anyone in the pictures or if you have any memories, experiences or anecdotes to relate about Sr Redempta and the Library, please send them along to us at mcallistersmith@gmail.com and let us all enjoy the nostalgia.

FORTY YEAR REUNION, 1974-2014

 

Donna Constantine Walsh has sent us details of a "Small but sweet gathering of some of the 1974 St Patrick's Grade Nine Graduates". 

 

This month marks the 40th anniversary of their Graduation so, on 1st June 2014, the group of classmates got together at the Woodstock Colonial Inn on Topsail Road.  Old friendships were renewed and Donna  says that "Oh my God!" and "You haven't changed a bit!"  could be heard as classmates introduced themselves.

 

Donna also sent the great photo which we are very happy to post below.

 

FORTY YEARS LATER

 

 

 

BACK ROW (L-R)

Sharon Murphy, Christine Rossiter, Donna Constantine, Marilyn Maher, Cathy Bishop

 

FRONT ROW (L-R)

Terri Healy, Debbie Barron, Joanne Greene, Donna Simmonds, Karen Mugford, Judy Kavanagh, Barbara Holden, Collette Beaudoin, Marilyn Taylor, Gladys Layman, Cathy Foley, Janice Fagan, Ann O'Driscoll

 

A good time was had by all and Donna hopes that more people will be able to attend next year.  I am sure that Donna  speaks for all who attended when she says that thanks are due to Christine Rossiter Butler for organizing the event.   

 

 

 

Thanks Donna for sharing this happy gathering with us.  If anyone has other pictures or stories you would like to share, we would love to receive them and if you send them to mcallistersmith@gmail.com we will post them here on the blog and on the St Patrick's Convent School facebook page. 

LET'S TRY AGAIN!

This photo, from Presentation Archives, was posted here before.  Thanks to some of you, particularly Joan Fogarty, we were able to identify some of the girls in the photo.  We are re posting this photo in the hope that someone will be able to give us a few  more names and perhaps even supply a bit of information about it.  For instance, it would be interesting to find out the year and the occasion.  If you can help in anyway, please contact us at mcallistersmith@gmail.com and  you will make us very happy.

A group from the 1950s. 
Who are they & what's the occasion?

Row 1: ?, Barbara Parsons, Yvonne Beck, ?, ?, ?

Row 2: Connie Jackman, ?, ?, Patricia Ann Roche, Sharon Horan

Row 3: Sheila Carew, ?, ?, Patricia McCarthy

These are the names we have so far.  Can you add more?   Do you know what the occasion was? 

MEMORIES OF HOLY CROSS SPORTS DAY

Once upon a time, June was the month in which Holy Cross Sports Day provided an exciting diversion for the boys at Holy Cross and for their sisters and friends at St Patrick's.  Craig McAllister has sent me some great pictures of one such Sports Day.  The first picture was taken as the boys marched along Water St, near the foot of Leslie St.  I was tempted to crop the picture but I thought it better to remind ourselves of how Water St at Leslie looked before progress set in!  The second picture shows the boys marching into Brother Egan field on Leslie St.   These great pictures were  taken either in 1959 or the early 1960s.  My thanks go to Craig for sharing them with us. 

 

Holy Cross Boys marching up Water St,
near the foot of Leslie St

 

Arrival at Brother Egan Field,
Holy Cross Sports Day

 

This third picture is one I found among my old photographs.  It was probably taken at the first Sports Day held in the new field on Leslie St.  That would have been in June 1959.  Time certainly does fly!

 

My brother, Shannon McAllister,
Holy Cross Sports Day, 1959
 

 

This final picture is also from my own photo collection.  I am sure many of you will remember Gerry Dawson for his prowess on the sports field.  If my memory serves me correctly, Gerry ran away with many trophies at previous Holy Cross Sports Days.  Reg Farrell, from St Lawrence, was known for his sporting achievements for his home town and for St Bon's College in St John's.

Gerry Dawson and Reg Farrell,
keeping in touch with Gerry's old School,
Holy Cross Sports Day June 1961

 

Are there any more H C Sports Day pictures out there?  If so, please send them to mcallistersmith@gmail.com and we would be very happy to post them.