Sheila Mary (O'Driscoll) McCarthy (1909 - 2005)

Born 23 Dec 1909 in Timoleague, County Cork, Ireland

Ancestors

Wife of Eugene Daniel McCarthy — married 22 Jul 1935 in Timoleague, County Cork, Ireland

Descendants

Died 24 Oct 2005 at age 95 in Douglas, Isle of Man

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Biography

Sheila Mary O'Driscoll was born on 23 December 1909 in Timoleague, Co. Cork, Ireland and died on 24 October 2005 in Douglas, Isle of Man. Her ashes were scattered in the Argideen River, Courtmacsherry, Co. Cork in May 2006.

Children: Patrick (born 1936) and Maureen (born 1939)

Recollections of Patrick E. McCarthy dated 23 April 2018:

All I know from what little she told me (getting information out of her was trying to get blood out of a stone) was that as a 5 1/2 year old living in Courtmac where her father was a doctor, was the commotion when it was learned that the Lusitania had been torpedoed off the coast of Ireland (11 miles off the coast of the Old head of Kindle). The Courtmacsherry Lifeboat responded to the call. As the book about the lifeboat says the crew could not put up the lifeboat's sail as there was no wind that afternoon. So they rowed the whole way, out and back. (About 36 miles round trip.) They only picked up bodies. There were no survivors when they got to the site.

The Lusitania was on its way from the US, New York, probably, to, probably, Liverpool, with a stop in Queenstown, now called Cobh (pronounced Cove), which is the ocean port of Cork. All trans-Atlantic liners in those days called at Queenstown on the lay out to New York and on the return. I understand the liners could not dock at Queenstown. Trips to and from the liners were by tender.

Granny was born on December 23, 1909. The Lusitania was torpedoed on May 7, 1915. That would make her about 5 1/2 years old at the time.

Notes taken by Patrick McCarthy (c1995) from his mother - Sheila Mary McCarthy (nee O’Driscoll) - while the latter was living in the Isle of Man:

Schools: 1914:

• Convent of Mercy, Doon, Co. Limerick, Ireland;
• Sacred Heart Convent, Perrault [Parliament?] Hill Fields, London, England
• Loreto Convent, St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin, Ireland.

Employment: Worked in Accounts Department, Pension de Gendots (?), Melun, France

Other:

• Margaret McCarthy (nee Broderick) was the first person to “pick up” Sheila as a child.
• Eugene Daniel (Hughie) McCarthy used to come to Timoleague, also met in France (presumably to court Sheila!)
• Sheila Mary O’Driscoll was engaged to an engineer from Cork but he died of pneumonia.
• Patrick Eugene McCarthy was born in Dufferine Hospital, Rangoon, close to midnight in 1936;
• Sheila Maureen Griffiths (nee McCarthy) was born in the same hospital at 10.00 pm in 1939.

Records

Newspaper Articles

The Southern Star
July 27, 1935

The marriage of Miss Shelia Mary O’Driscoll, eldest daughter of Dr. and Mrs. P.J. O’Drisoll, Timoleague, and Captain Eugene Daniel McCarthy. O.B.E. of the Baluchi Regiment, Indian Army, second son of the late Thomas and Mrs. McCarthy, London, took place at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Timoleague, on Monday. Rev. Fr. O’Driscoll, P.P., Timoleague^[1], officiated assisted by Rev. Fr. J. Sheehy, C.C., Courtmacsherry^[2].

The bride was given away by her father, and was attended by Miss Mary McMullan (cousin) daughter of Wm. and Mrs. Mullan, of Messrs McMullan Bros., Maxol Motor Spirits, Belfast, Dublin, and Cork. Lieutenant Commander McCarthy, Royal Navy (His Majesty’s Ship “Rodney”) brother of the bridegroom was best man. The bride looked charming in a frock of silver, and bridal veil of white tulle, and head dress of silver and orange blossom. The bridesmaids favoured blue organdie and little hat ensuite. The brides mother and father held a reception after the ceremony at their beautiful home, Abbey View, Timoleague.

Those present included: -- Dr. and Mrs. O’Driscoll (parents), Master J. O’Driscoll (brother), and Miss N. O’Driscoll (sister), Mrs. W. McMullan, Dublin (cousin), Miss M. McCarthy, (or Miss M. McCarthy), London (cousin), Miss Margaret McCarthy, Timoleague (cousin), Mrs. P. J. Agnew, soir., and Mrs. Agnew, Co. Derry (cousins), Dr. Charles and Mrs. Nyhan, Clonakilty; Mrs. And Mr. P. J. Quinlan, Kilmallock; Mr. W. Murphy, Cuckoo Hill; Mr. Dick McGrath, David McMullan, Mrs. E. McGrath, Mr. C. Murphy, Belfast, and Master O’Toole, London. The honeymoon is to be spent touring Ireland.

Census

Sources

1. ↑ http://corkandross.org/priests/very-rev-jeremiah-odriscoll-pp/
2. ↑ http://corkandross.org/priests/rev-john-sheehy-cc/

• 1911 Irish Census from http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/

• 1911 Irish Census actual document from http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/

• FindAGrave memorial from www.findagrave.com