The death has occurred of Maureen Cronin, Ennis and formerly of Toureenfineen, Rockchapel, Co. Cork, Brosna, Co. Kerry on April 12th 2021, peacefully, at home in her 105th year.
Maureen, nee O’Carroll, was pre-deceased by her husband Seán.
Deeply regretted by her sons Tony and Pat and daughters Sheila and Ann, daughters in law Peggy, Ann, sons in law Denis, Seán, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, sister in law, niece, nephew, relatives, friends and neighbours. R.I.P.
Her Fame Broke Boundaries
Maureen Cronin was as well known – if not more so – in her adopted Ennis, Co. Clare as she was in her native Sliabh Luachra.
Her fame broke county boundaries and shot to national prominence with a feature on her in the RTÉ One series on local newspapers The Local Eye in 2015 as she edged ever closer to her magic 100th year.
Maureen was a regular contributor of verse and items of local importance to The Clare Champion. The relevance and longevity of her line of contributions came to the attention of the programme makers – see the link below.
Remembered from Scart Féile
In these parts she will be best remembered as the fiddle playing adjudicator / teacher at the now lamented and lost Scartaglin Féile Cheoil – where she was always surrounded by eager fiddle playing children.
She exuded the approachable manner of a muinteoir cáirdiúl with infinite patience and they flocked around her.
Defied the Wed Teacher Ban
A self confessed tough nut, Maureen was something of a trailblazer for women’s rights away back in the early 1950s. She somehow defied the marriage ban on female teachers at the time and carried on regardless for a year without pay in an effort to best the ban – which she eventually got around before seeing it lifted in the late 1950s.
Inveterate Writer of Verse
She was an inveterate writer of verse, since her own school days and published several books.
Maureen will be buried in her native Brosna tomorrow, Wednesday. She would be 105 in July and she’s well due her eternal rest. May God be good to her.
Requiem Mass will be offered for Maureen on Wednesday, April 14th, at 12 noon in St. Peter’s Church, Rockchapel, for family only, please. Burial afterwards in Brosna Old Cemetery.
Maureen’s Mass Live-streamed
Mass will be live streamed and you can follow it with a click on the link here: the Facebook page, Meelin and Rockchapel Parish. The funeral cortège will travel, after Mass, via Glounakeel, Toureenfineen, Knockaclarig to Brosna Old Cemetery.
Date Published: Tuesday 13th April 2021. Date of Death: Monday 12th April 2021.
Maureen was featured by RTÉ on The Local Eye series in 2015 and you can see it with a click on the link here: https://clarechampion.ie/oldest-newspaper-contributor-local-eye/
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