Lives Lost to Covid-19: Mary Kate O’Donohoe was ‘loved and respected by all who knew her’

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Mary Kate O’Donohoe

1953-2020

In her early years Mary Kate O'Donohoe's mode of transport was a push bike as she travelled far and wide from her home in Rathimney, Gusserane, Co Wexford.

She later progressed to an electric bike and such was her skill on the bike and the distances she travelled that some quipped she might have considered a career as a stunt cyclist.

Instead, after secondary school at St Louis, Ramsgrange, and graduation from St Louis School of Home Economics, Mary Kate took a more domestic route and worked as a childminder for several local families.

"She was very industrious and could turn her hand to anything and kept herself busy child-minding, washing, ironing, cleaning, baking, making jams and marmalade and cooking for herself and others," says her brother-in-law Martin Kennedy.

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Skilled at craft work, in her spare time she would make rugs, do embroidery and tapestry. And such was her expertise that “every house in the vicinity has some of her tapestry”.

Born on December 2nd, 1953, Mary Kate was named after her mother Mary Kate (néé Doran), known as Maisie, and her maternal grandmother Mary Kate (néé) Whitty.

She was the second of Maisie and Ned O’Donohoe’s four daughters and grew up on the family farm with her sisters Margaret (O’Leary), Bridget (Kennedy) and Geraldine (Sutton).

Mary Kate was born with Klippel Feil syndrome, a rare bone disorder, but despite the debilitating condition she embraced life, loved banter and craic and had a sharp wit, Martin recalls.

Loved travelling

"She loved to travel, be it to Italy, Spain and other European locations with family or to Lourdes with the Ferns Diocesan Pilgrimage, or Knock."

She was also an active member of the Irish Countrywomen’s Association for a number of years and loved its activities and going on its outings.

And as children when her nephews and nieces were “on holiday” on the farm she’d treat them to a picnic. Bad weather would not deter her and if it was raining, the picnic would move to the cow house.

Later, after her father’s death and as her mother’s health deteriorated, Mary Kate became her carer “and did all that was needed in spite of the fact that she suffered ill-health for quite a lot of her own life”.

That didn’t really hold her back until latter years when Mary Kate’s condition deteriorated significantly and, following an operation, she used a wheelchair.

Almost seven years ago Mary Kate moved to Cherry Grove Nursing Home in Priesthaggard, Co Wexford. She loved it there and was often to be found out in the fresh air, knitting or doing the crosswords.

Some of her visitors to Cherry Grove would bring her “racing” down the corridor in her wheelchair “and she’d be in knots laughing”. She loved “the craic and the fun and sometimes you’d see her laughing and her whole body would shake”.

Her brother-in-law recalls that “she lived for her twice-weekly visits to the daycare centre in Ramsgrange and often regaled us with the stories of what went on, particularly with those at ‘her table’.”

“Unfortunately, the cruel Covid-19 caught up with her and took her from us on the evening of Saturday, 18th April,” just under five months after her own mother’s death at almost 99 years of age.

Mary Kate was a daughter, sister, aunt and friend “well loved and respected by all who knew her”, and the community showed that affection by lining the funeral route as Mary Kate made her final journey, to Gusserane Cemetery.