Tipperary Coalmines
The Slieveardagh Mining Group is joining iCAN (Irish Community Archive Network) with Heritage Tipperary this year, 2024. We are on the Tipperary Kilkenny boarder, in this rural farming area coal mining provided well paid but health damaging employment up until the late 1980s. We are gathering information on the built and social history about and relevant to our coalmining heritage. This blog features midwives Katie Barron, Mary McCormack and Mary Anne Egan researched by retired nurse Mary Finnegan as part of the Yester-Year Project, Bealtaine 2024.
Katie Barron was born circa 1898 in Annamult, Stoneyford, Co Kilkenny, and attended Stoneyford National School. She trained at The National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, Dublin obtaining her certificate in midwifery on March 16th 1920.
Katie met Jack (John) Barron (d 1944) while in Dublin when he was working in the National Botanic Gardens, and they had one son Michael (1924 – 1990). The Barrons lived in Ballingarry Co Tipperary and Katie was the maternity nurse for Ballingarry dispensary district employed by South Tipperary County Council. Katie died on February 4th 1946.
‘Nurse Barron’ worked when midwifery was a blend of tradition, experience, and spiritual beliefs. For a quarter of a century, she was the maternity nurse for the Ballingarry area, while always remaining proud of her Kilkenny roots. She endeared herself to the hearts of the people whom her official duties brought her into contact with, and is recalled as having always given the best possible care. She was dedicated and kind and believed in person centred care working unselfishly and unceasingly in the interests of all sections of the community, and in particular the poor.
She had one of the first and only cars in Ballingarry at the time- a 1932 Morris Minor, it was very useful if there was inclement weather or if she anticipated a difficult delivery. If Katie became aware of problems in the household or if a family was unable to cope, she would change into her ‘crossover’ and prepare breakfast or dinner for the family including the new mother.
When she retired in 1945, she took up knitting as a hobby making jumpers, socks, woolly hats and gloves for the local children. Even in her retirement she helped the people. Katie died on February 4th 1946.
Nurse Mary McCormack was born in Clashduff¸ Co Tipperary in 1895. Ireland was at this time under British rule, and it was a difficult time. Her father was James and her mother was Nora nee Pollard. Mary loved animals and often tried to ‘make them better’. She was a kind, compassionate girl. She trained to be a midwife in Holles St Maternity Hospital, and qualified in October 1930.
Mary worked from her home at Clashduff and was the essence of discretion. She cared for the sick, and dying as well as her duties of a midwife. She was kind, considerate, and always thought of the person in her care. She would run the home as long as required. Sensitivity was required on Mary’s part, when she moved into the home of the sick person or the home of the woman giving birth. People’s preferences were considered, these may have differed from the family and these needed to be acknowledged and managed skilfully.
Mary nursed for 40 years in the parish, and was always available when needed. This meant going out at night on icy roads, either night or day in snow. Mary died on January 1st 1979 at the age of 84 years.
Mary Anne Egan optimised what a good midwife should be. Mary Anne was born in 1916¸ in Clonora, Glengoole, into an Ireland of conflict and confusion. She often spoke of the ‘Troubled times,’ where rationing was the norm. Mary Anne was third in the family, 2 sisters’ older and 2 brothers’ younger. Mary Anne followed in her mother Bridget O’Brien’s footsteps; she was also a community midwife. Mary Anne attended Primary School in Ballysloe, and continued her education in The Technical School in Killenaule. Mary Anne trained in Holles Street, Dublin. Her Uniform consisted of a whitedress and navy coat.
Career:
Mary Anne’s midwifery took her to Bansha, serving one year there, and then did locum for Nurse Barron in the neighbouring village of Ballingarry, also spending one year there. She also worked as locum for Nurse Cormack in Killenaule. The midwives and the local Doctors worked together as a team.
Life could sometimes be difficult for Mary Anne; her job took her out in all kinds of weather conditions, frost, and snow and icy roads.She travelled throughout the locality to deliver babies. Mary Anne never learned to drive, so her husband Tom did the necessary, the night deliveries were difficult. Mary Anne never complained, she had a way about her that gave confidence to those in her care, as voiced to me by her many satisfied families.
Mary Anne always took a holistic view of the expectant mother and family. An understanding of what’s important to the mother and the wider family unit. She would keep checking that the mother understood the enormity of bringing home a tiny baby. Supporting the individual and the familyand ensuring plain simple talking is important in facilitating the individual in taking care of a crying baby who at 2am on a cold night will not take to the breast, when all seems sometimes too much.
Mary Anne delivered at least 100 babies. She worked for 42 years in the Ballysloe, Glengoole, and Gortnahoe areas. She had some difficult deliveries, but never had one that she couldn’t cope with, indeed many of the doctors depended on MaryAnne’s experience to get that little boy or girl into the world.
In Retirement:
The Publican- After retiring from midwifery Mary Anne’s career took a very different path, one that led her to the licensed premises, a lounge bar- The Coole Tavern in Ballysloe. She took it in her stride, she was an excellent publican; making an Irishcoffee or a hot whiskey was no trouble even though the lounge or bar could be very busy. She was a strict land lady; closing time adhered to strictly.
The Undertaker- She also assisted in helping families wholost a loved one suddenly, or after a long illness. She helped her husband inthe undertaking business. She treated the bereaved person with kindness and compassion.
As you can see, Mary Anne had a coat of many colours. She lived a long life, passing away at the age of 92 in July 2008. Rest in Peace Mary Anne.
With special thanks to Mary Finnegan for researching threeof our local midwives- Katie Barron, Mary McCormack and Mary Ann Egan. Mary’s sister and brother were both delivered at home by Mary Anne Egan.
Many thanks to Katie Barron’s grandson Billy Barron and Mary Anne Egan’s daughter Breda Egan for sharing their information and images.
Katie Barron’s only son Michael was a keen photographer and recorded much of the local area, he also wrote some memoirs. One of these memoirs ‘The Social Scene’ written in the late 1970s was shared through the Tipperary Coalmines blog project for Heritage Week 2022.
https://www.tipperarycoalmines.ie/blog/heritage-week-with-the-slieveardagh-mining-interest-group followed by six further blogs with the serialised memoir, images and videos. The photograph of Katie and the Morris Minor was used in that project. Michael did not specifically mention his mother, her career or the car in The Social Scene- ‘Private motor-cars were non-existent in those days. There were one or two hackney cars and maybe the local doctor or priest had one. People did not do much travelling, a funeral of a relative or a visit to a hospital to see a patient. Most births and deaths occurred in the home, and the horse and trap sufficed for the short trip to the Church or graveyard.’ Michael does identify how localised life was in the 1930s!
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