Centenarian nurse who enjoyed a long, healthy, and active life
OBITUARY: Maureen Cowley
Maureen Cowley
Navan and Dublin
Following a short illness after a long and wonderful life, Maureen (Margaret) Cowley, of Troytown Heights, Navan, and formerly of Flower Hill, died on Saturday 7th January last at the age of 101 years, at the home of her daughter, Eva, at Navan Road, Dublin.
Born Maureen Downes in 1921 in Duleek, her family moved to Curraha within a couple of weeks of her birth. There she attended the local national school. An excellent student, she won a scholarship to the Connemara Gaeltacht in 1937 ensuring a lifelong love of the Irish language.
She progressed to secondary school in St Michael's Loreto Convent, Navan, making the daily journey by bicycle and bus. She remained faithful to their past pupils union for many years. Maureen trained and worked as a nurse in Belfast, London, the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, the Co Infirmary, and Our Lady's Hospital, Navan, from where she retired in 1986. Married to Paddy who passed in 2010, they had a long and happy marriage, enjoying lots of shared interests, their charitable work, music and singing - both members of St Mary's Musical and Cultural societies, and Maureen also sang with St Mary's Parish Choir for many years. They also enjoyed playing cards, travelling, attending race meetings all over Ireland and fond of a flutter, indeed Maureen thoroughly relished afternoons viewing many sports on TV at night up to her final weeks.
She visited many countries during her lifetime with her final trip abroad to Lourdes, France, at the age of 90 years. Reading excessively and keen on a good TV quiz, the buzz of a clever cryptic crossword entertained her daily.
Having broken her hip in 2018, Maureen went to live with her daughter Eva and her husband Paul McDonagh where she enjoyed the company of the grandchildren and great grandchildren. In September that year she had the unique opportunity of meeting Pope Francis, a treasured moment in her life and a fitting reward for a woman of sincere prayer and life long faith.
Maureen is survived by her daughter, Eva McDonagh; son-in-law Paul; grandsons, Peter, Killian and Tiernan; granddaughter, Nicola Murray and her husband Mikey and sons Donnacha and Tomas; her great grandsons, nieces, nephews, extended family, wonderful neighbours and a wide circle of friends.
A funeral took place from St Oliver's Church, Navan, to St Mary's Cemetery, and a month's memory Mass takes place in St Oliver's on Sunday 19th February at 12 noon.