Crossgar WI presents cheque for £300 to Laurence Trust founder in memory of son

23 April 2025

THE ladies of Crossgar Women’s Institute had a busy time at their April meeting.

Ethel Murdock showed us how to make an Easter chick and bunny from a dish cloth, while her sister, Emma Thompson, demonstrated her skills at flower arranging.

The members presented Ethel with £100, which will go towards her Mattresses for Uganda appeal.

They also presented fellow member Pam Nugent with a cheque for £300, which was part of the proceeds from a quiz held at the Lakeside Inn in March. The money will go to the Laurence Trust, which Pam set up following the untimely death of her son some years ago.

Three members, Margaret Eynon, Patricia Mulholland and Lorna Stevenson, were presented with the Brookeborough Cup which they won recently.

This is a competition run by the Women’s Institute HQ for as three-person handcraft team.

Crossgar WI are proud to have won it in their first year of entering the competition.

Downpatrick WI

THE ladies of Downpatrick Women’s Institute welcomed back their president, Edwina Marr, at their April meeting recently.

Mrs Marr thanked Margaret Orr for acting as president in her absence.

Mrs Marr welcomed the guest speaker, Hubert Curran, who gave a very interesting and informative talk on Grace O’Malley, the legendary 16th century ‘Pirate Queen’ of Ireland.

Mr Curran explained that the story of Grace O’Malley is based on oral history and 18th and 19th century propaganda at a time when Irish leaders were looking for an inspirational figure as a symbol for their freedom.

The data came mainly from English archives, given that Irish histories were largely silent which may have been because they were mainly about men, as women in those days were very much in a subsidiary role, or because of the jealous misogyny of the authors, who were mainly monks.

Mr Curran said Grace was a powerful figure in her areas of influence and survived in a man’s world on the interface between the old Gaelic traditions and the new English determination to anglicise Ireland.

Grace (Granualle) was born in Belclare Castle near Westport into the clan Ul Mhaille (O’Malley), a hardy sea-faring people on the Irish west coast, making their living mainly from the sea.

Being descendants from the eldest son of an Irish High King, Brian Orbsen, the O’Malley’s hereditary lords of the Umhalls, roughly from the south of Clew Bay to Achill and including most of the western islands.

In the sea-faring traditions of that time, women were considered bad luck on ships, red-headed women doubly so – and Grace was both.

At the age of 12 Grace begged her father to go sailing with him on an expedition to Spain but he refused by saying her long hair would likely get caught up in the ropes. So, Grace shaved her head, hid on his ship and became a sailor, earning the nickname ‘Grainne Bhaol’ – bald Grace.

She became involved in sea trade and piracy, becoming an expert mariner and leader, and gaining the respect and allegiance of her clansmen and others. On the death of her father, she became the effective clan chief, in preference to her half-brother Donal.

In July 1593 Grainne (Grace) captained her own ship to London to meet Queen Elizabeth 1 at Greenwich. She was barefoot and dressed in Irish costume. At one point, Grainne sneezed and was offered a fine handkerchief to blow her nose, which she threw into the fire, explaining to the shocked queen that “the Irish had a higher standard of cleanliness” and she didn’t wish to put dirty linen into her pocket.

Both ladies spoken in Latin. Queen Elizabeth offered the title of countess which Grainne politely refused on the basis that a title could not be conferred by somebody who was not Queen of Ireland.

Mr Curran said after this encounter there was little evidence of Grainne in the archives. It appeared that she finally retired about 1598 to Rockfleet Castle. She is thought to have died in approximately 1603 and is buried in the Cistercian abbey on Clare Island.

Mr Curran said she was an extraordinary iconic woman, a warrior by sea and land, operating in a man’s world and more than holding her own. She was feminist icon before feminism was invented. A statue in her memory is in the grounds of Westport House.

Mr Doyle answered several questions after his presentation and was thanked by Judith Harper, who presented him with a small token of appreciation on behalf of the ladies.

The competition for the best three scones was won by Anne Deegan with Geraldine Gray the runner-up. Everyone enjoyed a cuppa whilst savouring the beautiful delights prepared and served by Karen Walker and Pat Mulhall.

Members extended their sympathy to the families of Mrs Ivy Pentland and Mrs Paddy Burns long time members of Downpatrick WI .

The annual ‘Women Walk the World’ will take place on Saturday, April 26, and that some representatives of Downpatrick WI will best taking part.

The members were also reminded to get their cameras ready for the WI photographic competition, details are listed in this month’s Country Woman’s magazine.

The birthday girl was Debbie McKibben and the ballot was won by Judith Harper.

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