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Thursday, July 29, 2010
Famous link laid to rest
THE LOWERING of a coffin at Oylegate Cemetery last Friday afternoon marked the end of an era and revived memories of a famous Wexford town native, Robert Brennan, a rebel, diplomat, and a former Director of Radio Éireann and Echo reporter.
His daughter, 92-year-old Deirdre Ita Jerrold, affectionately known as Derry, who passed away peacefully in the famous English university city of Cambridge, on Monday, June 28th, had her eternal wish fulfilled as she choose Oylegate as her final resting place.
Born in Dublin on October 16th 1918, amidst the turmoil of the Irish War of Independence, Derry was the third daughter of Robert Brennan and Una Bolger, both who had been involved in the 1916 Easter Rising.
During this troubled period, while her parents were on the run, Derry and her older sister, Maeve, were sent to live in Wexford with their aunt Bessie on the family farm at Coolnaboy, Oylegate.
As a young girl she had enjoyed warm and playful summers as a visitor to the family farm at Oylegate. Derry’s fondest memories were always of Bessie and the farm, because she loved to be around animals.
She loved the chore of bringing in the cows from the fields by running ahead and opening the numerous gates along the lane that led to the farmhouse.
In Dublin, the family lived at Ranelagh in a small terraced house which was later immortalised in the writings of her sister, Maeve.
When she was 15 years old, her father was appointed Irish Minister to the United States and the family moved to Washington, and it was there that she met her husband, Paris-born Gilbert Jerrold and they were married in 1940.
When her husband died in 1950, Derry returned to Ireland with her children and lived in Dublin up to five years ago.
Deirdre’s claim to fame is being the daughter of an outstanding Wexfordman, Robert ‘Bob’ Brennan, (1881-1964), who enjoyed a tremendously interesting career in politics, journalism and diplomacy.
Robert trained as a surveyor and worked with Wexford County Council until his political activities led to a parting of the ways.
He was a journalist with The Enniscorthy Echo, sentenced to death for his part in the 1916 Easter Rising, but was reprieved and went on to be the founder of The Irish Press newspaper at the request of Eamonn de Valera.
In 1938 he was appointed Ireland’s first minister in Washington, on his return to Dublin in 1947; he became Director of Broadcasting at Radio Éireann.
After retirement from public life, Robert took to writing and produced many works, the best known being his autobiography, Allegiance, published in 1950.
Derry is a first cousin of the celebrated novelist, Roddy Doyle’s mother, and first cousin to the Bolger family of Coolnaboy, Oylegate, the most famous member being the top international racehorse trainer, Jim Bolger, who attended last Friday’s ceremony.
Very Rev. James Cogley, P.P.,conducted the Funeral Service at St. David’s Church, Oylegate, last Friday, in the presence of family and friends.
She is mourned by her three surviving children, nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, also the Bolger family of Coolnaboy, Oylegate, the Bolger family of Dublin, the Brennan family of Wexford, other distant relatives, friends of the families. R.I.P.
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