Sister Ann was born in Lifford, Co. Donegal in 1929, the youngest of three children. She attended her early education in Donegal, Dublin and Monaghan and joined the Medical Missionaries of Mary in 1947. After profession she studied medicine in University College Dublin and obtained a Master of Obstetrics from the National Maternity Hospital.
Her first assignment was to Anua, Nigeria in 1959 and she served there for six years, with two years in charge of the maternity and gynaecology units. She then completed postgraduate studies at the Hammersmith Hospital in London, obtaining an MRCOG in 1968. She later obtained an FMCOG (Nigeria), an FRCOG, and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland in 1997.
Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No: 202
D.O.B.: 21.12.1891
First Profession: 08.09.1951
Died: 11.07.1963 Aged: 72 years
At the age of 57 and widowed, few of us would think of giving the rest of our lives to missionary activity, especially if we had a family of eight: sons, daughters and grandchildren. But Mrs. Ellen Walshe, with an address of Kinlough, Co. Leitrim, came willingly to MMM on 4 May 1948, entering in Rosemount.
Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No. 706
D.O.B. 12.03.1920
First Profession 03.04.1967
Died: 10.11.01 Aged: 81 years
Born in Ballina, Co. Mayo, Sr. Florence Walshe came from a family of eight children. The family moved to Fenagh, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim, while she was a child and this she regarded as home. Her father died when she was only 17, and Florence dedicated many of her early years to supporting the family. She took several jobs near home, but later went to the USA, where she trained in child care, geriatrics and convalescent care. She worked for several years as a companion to two elderly ladies.
Brigid Walsh was born in Kilkenny in April 1922 and took the name Sister Annette after she joined MMM in 1955. She trained as a radiographer. She soon made use of her talents in Tanzania, where she was assigned in 1963. She spent five years there in Makiungu and Dareda. After serving for a year in Mzuzu, Malawi, in 1971 she returned to Tanzania for a further two years, this time in Kabanga.
Sr. Eithne was born in Dublin in 1934, the only girl in a family of five. She received her early education there and later studied household management in Cathal Brugha Street. She then went to Jersey, where she qualified as a state registered nurse (SRN) and to Edinburgh where she did her midwifery training. She joined MMM in 1961.
Sister Cora Wall was born Margaret Mary Wall in Lissarda, Co. Cork in 1922. She received her early education in Kilmurry and Macroom and joined the Medical Missionaries of Mary in 1949.
After initial formation she completed a diploma in social science in University College Dublin (UCD).
Sister Julie was born Anita Urban in Medford, MA, USA in 1927. She had a twin sister, Anna. Her mother was from Florence, Italy and her father was from Yugoslavia (now Montenegro). Her parents met and married in the USA and made their home in Medford, MA. Julie also had a brother, John, and two more sisters, Elizabeth and Irene. All preceded Julie into eternal life.
Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No: 200
D.O.B. 11.04.1925
First Profession: 08.09.1950
Died: 13.09.2008 Aged: 83 years
Mary (Minnie to her family) Twomey came from an Irish-speaking farming family in Macroom, Co. Cork. She had two brothers and one sister. She worked in a hotel in Cork before entering MMM in 1948, when she took the name Sr. Mary Zita.
Sister Maria Anne Travers was born Anastasia Travers in Arnestown, New Ross, Co. Wexford on 25 October 1927. She had her early education in New Ross and joined MMM in 1946. After profession in 1949, she trained as a nurse. At that time Drogheda did not have complete nurse training facilities and was affiliated to some of the Dublin hospitals. Maria Anne trained in both the IMTH (now Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital) and the Mater Misericordiae Hospital in Dublin. She then completed midwifery training in Drogheda.
Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No: 70
D.O.B.: 21.09.1896
First Profession: 08.09.1944
Died: 21.07.1962 Aged: 66 years
Baptized Bridget Agnes, Sr. Regina was already 46 years of age and a well-qualified nurse when she entered at Rosemount on 6 January 1942. In MMM she was known affectionately as ‘Queenie’.
