LUCEY, John and Elizabeth (née Fitzgibbon)

John The Telegraphist and Later Postmaster

John (1884-1978), the second son of Cornelius and Julia Lucey, was one of fourteen children. He went to school firstly at Clondrohid and later Carriganima, about 3½ miles from Cahireen, the family farm. Cahireen consisted of about 100 acres of mixed tillage and grazing land in the parish of Clondrohid in the county of Cork.  Reminiscing in 1975, John described Cahireen as being set on rather high ground, with a beautiful view of hills and mountains on three sides. The nearby parishes of Carriganima, Ballymakeera and Kilnamartyra were equidistant from the farm and John recalled that, if weather conditions were favourable, "one could hear the Mass bells ringing in all four parishes".

Macroom, situated seven miles from Cahireen, was John's destination each day by donkey and saddle to complete his schooling. He then went to Cork city for a few months and stayed with friends of his parents.  

In 1901, he left for Manchester to join the Civil Service. This was at a time when Irishmen were not too popular because of the Manchester Martyrs' happenings a few years earlier when a few countrymen, in trying to release their friends who were being conveyed to prison, shot the lock off the van and accidentally killed a warder. While in Manchester, John learned Irish. More importantly, he began work there as a telegraphist, an occupation which John described as "congenial ... [and] with practice I could reach good speeds." 

"Lill", his Wife

Also at this time, Elizabeth Fitzgibbon (1891-1976), worked as a telegraphist in London. Shortly afterwards, John transferred to Cork just ahead of the 1916 Rising. Elizabeth, known as "Lill" came to Cork on temporary transfer and this was how the two met. John said that "it was for my greatest good luck that she did so, for there was never a thing in my whole life that brought me so much happiness." They later married in London in 1922.

After living in Cork for two years, John was transferred to Dublin on the take-over by the Irish government.  There he worked in the Secretary's Office in the Castle for eight years before being transferred once again, this time to Claremorris, as postmaster, responsible for a large area of county Mayo. In 1941, John and Lill moved to Galway where John retired on a pension in 1949, after half a century of work.

Their Children

John and Lill's greatest pride and joy were their children. 

• Sheila (1923-2007), the eldest, followed in her parents' footsteps by joining the Civil Service but all the time had the convent uppermost in her thoughts. She finally joined the Missionary Sisters of St Columban and served abroad in the Philippines from 1953 to 1990 when she returned to Ireland. It was at this point that Sr Sheila assisted in no small way with the Lucey family history project by her contributions to research. Sr Sheila celebrated her golden jubilee of profession on 26 August 1995. The Jubilee Mass was presided over by the Rev Fr Bernard T. Smyth at St Columban's Convent, Magheramore, Wicklow.

• Betty (1925-2010), the second child, married Dr Cyril Warde, in Dublin in 1960.

• Conn (1928-2015) married Dr Darina Sexton, formerly of Ballygar, Co. Galway, at Malahide, Dublin, in 1959.

Betty and Conn both qualified in  medicine at University College, Galway. Before retiring from the world of medicine and health care, Betty, Cyril, Conn and Darina had for many years practised their profession in various parts of Ireland.

Retirement

Betty retired from general practice in December 1990 and Cyril followed two years later when he retired from his post of Director of Health Services, county Wicklow. Stillorgan on the southern outskirts of Dublin is where they both resided in their retirement. Betty passed away in 2010 and husband Cyril died peacefully in his 92nd year in March 2015. They are survived by children Paul and Mary, their spouses Helen and Seamus, grandchildren Peter, Jenny, Jake, Joe, Jamie, Lucy and Mary Kate, and great-grandson Daniel. Conn also retired from medical practice in 1994 and, with his wife, Darina, enjoyed life to the fullest in Castlebar, Co. Mayo before moving to Borris, Co Carlow to be nearer their grandchildren. Darina passed away in 2011 to be followed by her husband, Conn, who died peacefully at Borris, County Carlow on 5th January 2015. They are survived by their children Cormac, Triona, Katherine and Clare, sons-in-law Martin, daughter-in-law Ciara, and grandchildren Conor, Colm, Cathal, Patrick, Helen, Conn and Daniel.