TRIBUTE TO MARGARET (PEGGY) MAGNER (Nee O’BRIEN)

TRIBUTE TO


MARGARET (PEGGY) MAGNER (Nee O’BRIEN)

US & BALLYCULHANE, KILDIMO.

1926 / 2009





The death occurred in the US in July 2009 of Mrs Peggy Magner (neeO’Brien) Peggy was born to Michael and Annie (Bourke), of Ballyculhane on January 6, 1926. Following her early education in the old school in Kildimo, she pursued her secondary education at Scoil Mhuire, Ennis, where she laid the foundation for her teacher-training course in Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. After a short period as a sub-teacher in her old national school, Kildimo where she is still remembered for her firm control of her classes, she received a post in Ballysteen. During this period she met her husband-to-be Joe Magner of Riddlestown, Rathkeale. Because of the marriage bar she had to forgo her teaching post but she removed with Joe to England where she continued to teach for a short period before they embarked for Canada and a teaching post on the Canadian prairies. Meanwhile, Joe had returned to his involvement with horses and eventually developed his own stable. Two girls, Deirdre and Denise were born and when the former was a teenager, Joe returned to take over part of Riddlestown. Meanwhile Peggy returned to teaching, this time in St. Philomena’s in Limerick for a decade. When Riddlestown farm was sold on, she returned again to the US, where she spent the rest of her days. After a visit to her beloved homestead earlier this year, following a health crisis, she wrote a beautiful letter to her family in Ballyculhane in which she described the high esteem she felt for her native place. This letter was read by her daughter as a fitting finale to her funeral Mass in St. Joseph’s Church, Kildimo. It was to this place she loved so well, that her ashes returned to be interred with her kith and kin in the old graveyard in Kildimo on Wednesday August 5th 2009. She is survived by her husband Joe and her daughters Deirdre and Denise, by her siblings Dennis, Eithne and Noreen in the US and Mícheal and family in Ballyculhane.


‘Leaba i measc Naomh na hEireann go raibh aici’