Article from the Grange Parish Book suggested for reading this week (week 40)
Nora Hourigan (1927 - 2015)
This week's (week 40) book article suggested for reading is a tribute to Nora Hourigan (The Old Road, Lower Grange), written by Nora's family.
Nora, a native of Kilworth, Co Cork, married Grange man James (Jimmy) Hourigan in July 1962. Following her marriage, she relocated to Lower Grange, where she spent the remainder of her
life. Nora and James had five children. James died in 1996, and Nora passed away in 2015, aged eighty eight. Nora is missed dearly by her five children: Gerard, Una, Seamus, Vincent and Paul and by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She is greatly missed in her community.
After moving to Grange, Nora promptly became a well-known and respected member of the community. She became a prominent member of the local Irish Country Women's Association, and she took over from Michael Lombard as the Grange contributor to the Vale Star newspaper following Michael's death. A number of Nora's contributions to the Vale Star are to be found in other Grange book articles.
Nora was a well-read woman and she could converse on any subject matter, which she did
frequently with her neighbours and friends on the Old Road - often as she walked her cows to and from the The Ranch.
Nora, being a native of County Cork, never failed to support Cork GAA teams, particularly hurling teams, even when Cork and Limerick met in the Munster Championship. There was, absolutely, never a doubt about where her allegiance lay.
The following are extracts from the book article:
"Nora, our dear mother, was born in Kilworth, Co Cork on 17th June 1927 to parents Ellen and Thomas McGrath. She was one of twins. Sadly, her twin brother, Eddie, passed away at eight years of age from pneumonia, a complication of measles. Her only other sibling, a sister, Eily, was born five years after Nora. Her father, Thomas, was a master tailor, as was his father, James, before him. Her mother, Ellen, was a cook."
"It was while spending a few days visiting Margaret Lombard (her best friend since childhood) in Grange in 1959 that Nora was introduced to a local man, James Hourigan. They courted for a few years and married in July 1962. They reared five children, and both worked very hard to provide for their family. They were happily married for thirty-four years - James passed away on 14th April 1996."
"She spent the last four years of her life as a resident at Ard na Rí Nursing Home in Holycross. She settled in well and continued to read the newspapers including the Vale Star and to do crosswords. She took part in all the daily activities while her health permitted and made many new friends."
Next week (week 41) we will suggest another book article for reading.
Kind Regards to All.
Grange ICA Guild photograph
