Florrie Pender

School day memories came flooding back when I heard of the celebration for Florrie Pender's 100^th birthday on the 26^th of August.  I was away from Athy that day in a city whose previous name was a further reminder of classroom days in Athy's Christian Brothers School.  Constantinople formerly Byzantium and now Istanbul was one of those almost magical names which learned at school brought up images of the mysterious East and glorious days of the Ottoman Empire.

But it was the mention of Florrie’s centenary which brought my memories back even beyond my first awareness of Eastern Empires.  For Florrie was employed in the local Convent of Mercy and  involved in the cleaning of St. Joseph's boys school on the Monasterevin Road during what I believe was my last of three years in the Sisters of Mercy boys junior school.  She replaced the well loved Mrs Lucy Alcock from Dooley's Terrace whom all the school boys regarded as a surrogate mother in a day time world populated by adults who dressed in a rather severe and challenging fashion. 

The Sisters of Mercy were our teachers in St. Joseph's school and their religious habits must at first sight have seemed extraordinary to young boys who up to then lived in the cosseted world of family and home.  Mrs. Alcock and later Florrie Pender were reminders of the mothers we had left at home and the occasions our paths crossed reinforced the bonds of affection which would forever remain with us.

Florrie’s father Denis worked for many years with the Sisters of Mercy.  Living in nearby Mount Hawkins he was a general factotum for the local convent and more importantly also drove the Convent's horse carriage.  Florrie initially worked occasionally in the Convent and replaced Lucy Alcock when the latter retired in the second half of the 1940's.

Florrie married William Pender and in so doing changed her name as she laughingly once described to me by cutting the “gast” out.  After more than seventy years of lifes service to the Sisters of Mercy and St. Joseph's Boys School and later Scoil Mhicil Naofa, Florrie eventually retired.  However even in retirement she was still a regular visitor to the Scoil Mhicil Naofa staff room up to recent years.

St. Joseph's school is now long gone, demolished at the same time as the old St. Michael's Parish Church to make way for the present church.  The young local boys who in former times were destined to spend three years of junior school in St. Joseph's instead found themselves part of the larger Scoil Mhicil Naofa.  The youngsters were always referred to by Florrie as “my boys”.  The girls who made up the majority of Scoil Mhicil Naofa's school population were never seemingly accorded the same “gra” by Florrie.  Indeed plans announced for the transformation of all primary schools in Athy to co-educational establishments did not gain approval from the good lady who had herself attended classes as a young girl in Athy's Convent school when the 1916 rebellion broke out in Dublin. 

The gathering in Our Lady's ward of St. Vincent's Hospital on the 26^th of August to celebrate Florrie’s centenary brought together a representative group of teachers from Scoil Mhicil Naofa and members of Florrie's family.  Fr. Philip Dennehy celebrated mass which was attended by Florrie's son Tom, his family and Florrie’s grandchildren and great grandchildren.  It was a wonderfully happy occasion organised by Eithne Julian of the nursing staff of St. Vincent's Hospital.

The photograph showing Florrie Pender standing outside her house in Convent View was taken by me ten years ago on the day Florrie celebrated her 90^th birthday.  Many happy returns to Athy's latest centenarian. 

Florrie Pender - St. Josephs School

I had occasion to call to the girls primary school Scoil Mhicil Naofa some weeks ago to meet the newly appointed Principal. In keeping with the tradition long associated with the Mercy Sisters I was brought to the Staff Room for a cup of tea and a bun and who should I meet there but somebody I remember when I was a nipper attending St. Joseph's Boys School at Rathstewart. It was Mrs. Florence Pender still hale and hearty and of indeterminate age. Woe betide anyone who would be so foolish as to ask the question which must inevitably spring to mind.

There are few memories we retain of our very young days but of those still cherished inevitably our early school days figure prominently. I have snatches of memories relating to my three year stay in St. Joseph's Boys School where I was before transferring at seven years of age to the Christian Brothers School. Sr. Brendan, Mrs. Lucy Alcock and Mrs. Pender are prominent in my recollections of St. Joseph's School. Mrs. Alcock was regarded by all the young boys as a surrogate mother and how kindly she reciprocated the trust and friendship lavished on her by the youngsters. Sr. Brendan was of course everyone's vision of the kindly nun. She prepared us all for our First Communion with dextrous use of the scissors which hung from her belt. The skilful art of receiving communion on the tongue in those pre Vatican Two days was rehearsed and rehearsed by Sr. Brendan passing up the line of boys, each obediently sticking out his tongue to be touched with the scissors held in the hands of the diminutive Kerry nun.

Mrs. Pender who is apt to describe herself as being as well known as a "beggars ass" worked occasionally in the Convent and was to replace Lucy Alcock when the latter retired. Her father, Denis Prendergast, who lived in Mount Hawkins also worked for the nuns and drove their horse carriage. This was a feature of transport in Athy up to the 1950's as the nuns were brought to the Railway Station or travelled with the carriage curtains drawn to St. Vincent's Hospital. Florrie Prendergast married William Pender and in so doing changed her name as she herself laughing describes by cutting the "gast" out.

After almost 45 years of service she is still to be found in the Staff Room of Scoil Mhichil Naofa catering for the needs of today's teachers.

St. Joseph's School no longer stands at the side of what was the main entrance gate to the Convent of Mercy off the Rathstewart Road. Demolished in 1964 to make way for St. Michael's new Parish Church the entire area has changed beyond recognition.

Also demolished at that time was the large finely carved Celtic Cross which once stood in the grounds of St. Michael's Church and which was clearly visible as one passed on the Monasterevin Road. Captured many times in photographs as far back as the Lawrence photographs of the 1890's the Cross was erected to commemorate Fr. Thomas Greene, former Parish Curate who played a major part in raising funds locally for the construction of the Convent for the Sisters of Mercy. I wonder where that memorial Cross put up with the contributions of the local people can now be found? It should be restored as a fitting tribute to Fr. Greene and to the people of Athy who before, during and after the Great Famine made many sacrifices so that the town could have a Convent of Mercy.

However I digress, but maybe not. The physical changes in the area around the Parish Church as we knew it in the 1950's mirror the changes which time has wrought on the people we knew at that time. The youngsters who played in the school yard of St. Joseph's School are now scattered far and wide. Of the teachers only Sr. Finbar is still with us while Florrie Pender continues her involvement with the Sisters of Mercy junior school. Times have changed but some things never change.