Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No. 400
D.O.B. 11.02.1915
First Profession 08.09.1957
Died: 17.08.2001 Aged: 86 years
Ellen Murphy, one of five daughters, was born in Bogherduff, Claremorris, Co. Mayo. Her early education in the local Convent of Mercy school was followed by midwifery training in the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin. Ellen spent several years as a midwife both in Dublin and Galway before entering MMM in 1955.
Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No: 494
D.O.B. 06.10.1931
First Profession: 03.10.1961
Died: 13.01.1999 Aged: 67 years
From Drogheda itself, Sr. Presentina (baptised Mary Therese) entered MMM on 3 April 1959.
One could call her “an arts and crafts person”, as her gifts were much appreciated in the Drogheda and Naples sewing rooms and her culinary expertise was put to the test in Bettystown and in the London Apostolic Delegation.
Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No: 06
D.O.B. 26.06.1908
First Profession: 06.01.1945
Died: 24.02.1998 Aged: 89 years
Honora Murphy, from Co. Cork, entered at Greenbank on 28 November 1936, before MMM was even founded. She was to be the sixth member of the congregation. It seems strange now to note that her first profession took place a whole nine years later! Such were the unusual times of the foundation period in MMM.
Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No: 99
D.O.B: 28.09.1923
First Profession: 08.09. 1946
Died: 07.10.1973 Aged: 50 years
Nellie Murphy, from Milford, Co. Cork, entered MMM on 26 August 1943. She trained as an nurse in St. Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin and then staffed as theatre sister from 1947 to 49 in Drogheda.
In 1949 she was assigned to Nigeria, where she was in charge of the operating theatre in Anua until 1954, when she returned to Drogheda to do her midwifery training
Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No. 398
D.O.B. 02.11.1933
First Profession 08.09.1957
Died: 01.02.2004 Aged: 70 years
Mary Bridget (Bridie) Murphy was born and raised in Monmahogue, Tramore, Co. Waterford. She came from a farming family and had three brothers and one sister. Bridie, as she was called then, was educated by the Sisters of Charity in Tramore before going on to technical school, where she undertook a commercial course. She then worked as a bookkeeper for a local butcher. Bridie joined MMM at the age of 20 and took the name Sr. Mary Brigidine.
Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No: 125
D.O.B. 20.12.1925
First Profession: 08.09.1947
Died: 05.01.1988 Aged: 63 years
Alice Christina, from Dundalk, Co. Louth, was a twin. She entered MMM on 22 August 1944.
She was missioned to Nigeria in 1952 but spent only two years there before returning to Drogheda in 1954 after a car accident.
Sr. Helena, who came from Newport, Co. Tipperary, was born on 15 November 1921. She was educated at the local Mercy Secondary School and joined MMM in 1943, when the Congregation was only five years founded. Around the time of her first profession of vows Mother Mary Martin was receiving many requests to expand our missionary work beyond Nigeria, where all the early foundations were made.
Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No: 04
D.O.B. 15.02.1907
First Profession: 15.12.1937
Died: 01.11.1969 Aged: 62 years
Mary Moynagh from Legwee, Co. Cavan, joined Marie Martin and her two other companions in Glenstal on 16 August 1935. She was truly a founding member of the congregation. It was her brother, Bishop James Moynagh, then apostolic administrator in Calabar, Nigeria, who opened the way for the foundation of MMM by his invitation to Marie in 1935 to come to Nigeria.
Sr. M. Joseph fulfilled many roles in those early days, as a pioneer in Nigeria, Angola, and in Clonmel and Drogheda, Ireland, where for two years she was novice mistress and superior.
Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No: 185
D.O.B. 25.09.1919
First Profession: 08.09.1950
Died: 04.12.1993 Aged: 74 years
Eileen, from Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, entered MMM on 15 September1947.
Because she was already a qualified nurse, she was missioned to Nigeria shortly after profession. She gave a lifetime of service in Afikpo, Abakaliki, Ogoja, Ikom, Nkalagu, Minna, and for many years in Obudu. In Obudu she started a centre for the blind in the Hansen’s disease (leprosy) settlement there.
Sr. Martina was born Bridget Ita Moriarty in Dingle, Co. Kerry in 1927, part of a family of six boys and four girls. She trained as a pharmacist at the College of Pharmacy in Dublin, qualifying in 1946. Before joining MMM in 1963 she worked as an assistant pharmacist in many towns in Ireland. She worked with her good friend Eileen Campion, also a pharmacist, and who also joined MMM in October 1963, becoming Sr. Aengus.
After profession Sr. Martina worked in the pharmacy in Drogheda for three years. She was assigned to Nigeria in 1969 and worked first in Abakaliki for four years. She then moved to Afikpo, where she spent four years as a pharmacist and also served in local MMM leadership. In 1977 she was assigned to Eleta, Ibadan, where she was to minister for the next twenty-three years. While working in the hospital she lived in the novitiate community, which was across the road.
