Deaths - Sligo Poets

          Sligo Champion
     16 September 1916

        IN MEMORIAM.

Mrs. B. O’Mullane, Grattan St., Sligo.

Wake for her the dirge and caoine,
  Bravely did she bear her cross,
Whereby, with her heavenly queen
  Friends are left to mourn her loss.

Thoughtful mother, wise and good,
  Faithful wife to husband kind,
He, now, in his widowerhood,
  Grieves with children left behind.

Children for whose every care
  All her thoughts were nobly bent
To equip them and prepare
  For their worldly betterment.

She now reaps what she has sown
  In the realms of bliss above,
Family, friends, now sad and lone,
  Wing to her our prayerful love.

Sligo’s loss is heaven’s gain,
  All must bow to God’s decree,
Time not wasted should, tis’ plain,
  Like our dear departed B.

                            J. J. McG.
22nd August, 1916.

Mrs Bridget O'Mullane died on 20 August 1916 in Jervis Street Hospital, Dublin where she had been sent for an operation. Her funeral Mass was held in Marlborough Street, Dublin, presumably in the the Pro-Cathedral, and she was buried in the family grave in Glasnevin cemetery, Dublin. Fr. Butler came from Sligo to celebrate the funeral Mass.

She was the daughter of Michael McCaffrey, Custom House officer, Sligo and she had carried on a drapery business in Sligo for thirty years. Her husband, James, had been a member of the RIC, born in County Clare. He was a pensioner in 1911 and in the 1901 census was not recorded at home. He was obviosly at work. They recorded their surname as Mullane in the 1901 and 1911 census forms.

They had four children, at least two of whom became well known.

Her youngest child, Brigid, (Bride J. P. in the 1901 census and B. Josephine in 1911) helped establish a branch of Cumann na mBan in Sligo in 1918 after meeting Countess Plunkett. She was made Secretary, and by the end of the year she had been elected onto the Cumann na mBan Executive Committee, and made an official organizer. She served a prison sentence in 1919, but continued her activities and established branches throughout the country.

She opposed the Treaty of 1921, and was appointed Director of Propaganda for Republican Sinn Fein in Dublin in early 1922.  She acted as a courier during the Civil War was one of those involved in publishing a weekly anti-Treaty paper called The War Bulletin. She was imprisoned in Kilmainham Jail in 1922-23. She died at the age of 74, and is buried in the Republican Plot in Glasnevin Cemetery.

Her brother, the eldest child in the family, Michael J., was well known as a writer and teacher. He wrote versions of Irish hero tales for the young as well as books on Irish history for use in schools. He was educated in the National University, Dublin and taught in various schools in Dublin including the CBS, Westland Row, and Spiddal Irish College. He died in 1956.

Bridget O'Mullane's witness statement to the Bureau of Military History is here. More about Bridget, including a photograph, on The Cricket Bat That Died For Ireland blog.
The Mullane family in 1901 census; in 1911 census.

              Sligo Champion
             21 October 1916
       Prepaid Advertisements
                     Death.

MULDOWNEY—September 29th, 1916, at her parents' residence, Judith Elizabeth, the eldest and dearly beloved daughter of Patk. Muldowney, ex-R.I.C., and Mary Muldowney, ex-N.T., of Killoran, Coolaney. On her soul sweet Jesus have mercy.

    Angels called thee, darling Judith,
        Called thee to their sunny home;
    And we know that thou are waiting
        For the dear ones here to come.
    Sweetest, fairest, brightest flower,
        Darling of our heart’s fond love;
    Oh, we miss thee every hour
        Since God called thee up above.

Death notices inserted in the Sligo Champion at this time did not usually have a verse attached so this one, for 30 year old Judith Muldowney, is unusual. In the 1901 Census Judith was a 15-year student at St. Louis’ Convent School, Swinford. In 1911 she was living at home with no occupation entered.

Her father was born in Queen's County (Laois) and was recorded as an RIC pensioner in both 1901 and 1911. Her mother was born in County Mayo and was still teaching in 1911. NT stands for National Teacher, a primary school teacher in the National Schools system.

The family was recorded as living in Carrowloughlan in 1901 and Belra in 1911. These are adjacant townlands between Coolaney and Tubbercurry, south Sligo.

Four children had been born to the couple and three, all girls, survived in 1911. A younger sister, Mary, was a student in the Convent of Mercy, Tuam in 1911.