The death occurred of Mrs Catherine (Kitty) Ward at her home on January 8, 2011. Following her wake at home, removal took place to St. Joseph’s Church Kildimo on January 11, for Requiem Mass and burial in the local cemetery. The funeral service was conducted by the local P.P. Fr. John Donworth, her neighbour Canon John O’Shea, P.P. Abbeyfeale along with the Pastor from her native parish of Dromkeen and a representative of the Salesians of Copswood where her late husband was employed for some years.
Kitty was born to John and Hanora Hogan nee Wynn (Scartaglin) of Dromkeen on February 10, 1916, the eldest of seven children, all of whom predeceased her. Her siblings were Denis, John, Peter, Mary (English), Nora and Bridie. Kitty enjoyed good health until the end and loved nothing better than to recount for the younger generations her own interesting life and the changes she witnessed during it. Her clear memory of events was exemplified by her recall of what must have been a terrifying event in witnessing the Dromkeen Ambush on February 3, 1921. The Hogan family lived near the crossroads where the ambush took place and Kitty was sent to a neighbour’s to fetch her father who was there. While on this errant she noticed about a dozen tall men who were RIC and Black and Tan officers who were in moving furtively behind the road fence. Following the event, locals in the area were intimidated by the British forces that threatened to burn them out. Kitty’s recollections are featured in a Commemorative Booklet, which marked the unveiling of a memorial on February 8, 2009. Tom Toomey who wrote the monumental work on ‘The War of Independence in Limerick’ included her memory of events in his book published in 2010.
Kitty’s bright and independent spirit was exemplified at an early age when she commenced her national schooling. Her first day was to Cloverfield school but because she wasn’t enamoured with the teaching methods she experienced there, she decided on trying Tineteriff School the following day when she accompanied a neighbour’s child. She continued here until embarking on her secondary education in Limerick city. After schooling she took up a post with Nell Costello in her shoe shop in Parnell Street. The Village Hall in Kildimo had only recently opened and it was a popular venue for dances to which the young Kitty cycled from town. It was during one such outing that she met Connie Ward of the local Kildimo family and their relationship blossomed into marriage on October 6th, 1942. Early years were spent in Pallaskenry convenient to Connie’s job as a driver for the College. They then moved to Kildimo were her husband teamed up with his brother Johnny in developing their garage and hackney services. When their first girl arrived named Tess, her mother-in-law Nora proved invaluable in caring for the young child, allowing Kitty to put her mind to other business interests such as developing a shop and later a tea shop which she ran until she was at retiring age. She still found time to rear her second daughter Catherine and her two sons John and Con.
As a dedicated homemaker, Kitty’s recreation was in touring Ireland with Connie until he passed away in 1993. Her growing family continued this practice that she loved and she had an especial attraction towards Killarney. She proved a popular and wise mother and ‘Nanna’ to her thirteen grandchildren and her five great grandchildren who rallied around her as she embarked on her final journey to join her beloved Connie. Sympathy is extended to her sons John and Con and her daughters Tess (McCormack) and Catherine (O’Connell) along with her extended family, friends and neighbours.
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