Edmund " Ned" Corridan (1932- 2013)

Alas ! I was very sorry to learn of the passing of Edmond Corridan  last April in Vancouver. To his Wife Brenda, son John, daughter  Madeline , their families and extended families in Knockmaol , I extend my deepest sympathy to you all

On learning of Ned's passing I asked Madeline to put a few words together to give us a picture of the man that was Edmond Corridan. Mandy (Madeline) wrote the following

"Edmund Corridan known as Ned was born in Abbeyfeale, in Feb 1932. His parents Jack and Rosalee owned a dairy farm. His fondest memories of growing up on the farm was drinking the warm milk from the cows and racing around with his border collie Rover.

 

After leaving school at age 18, he left the farm and moved to England where he joined his older brother John. It was here that he met his wife Brenda. They had two children, John and Madeline.

He worked at a chain manufacturing company, and they were opening a new plant in South Africa. Ned jumped at the chance to go to a new country. So the family moved to a small town just outside of Johannesburg.

Ned loved the warm sunny climate and enjoyed working in his garden growing roses and peach trees.

He was an active member of the local Catholic church and eventually becoming a Sunday school teacher.

 

In 1997 Ned and Brenda left South Africa and moved to Vancouver Canada to join their daughter and her family. Once again Ned pursued his passion for gardening. He was an enthusiastic bowler and attended many tournaments. He joined the local church and became an extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, visiting the hospital every Friday and going to many peoples homes. He loved doing this and was visiting people right up to a few weeks before he passed away.

 

He was  active and healthy right up to 3 months before he died. He developed a cough and it took 2 months for the doctors to diagnose advanced lung cancer. He passed away 2 weeks later. It was long enough to say goodbye to everyone he loved, but not so long that he suffered. He had lived a long and happy life spanning 3 continents.

 

Ned, my dad will always be remembered as a quiet spoken gentleman with never a harsh word for anyone. A kind and loving spirit who we all loved dearly."

Even though I never met Ned or Brenda, I spoke to them several times on the phone and got the feeling as if I knew them all my life. Below are some photos that I am grateful to Ned for sharing them with me.

This was taken in 1953 in England with his brother John. John retired to Listowel and passed away in 2009/2010

This was the first and last Family reunion in Knockmaol in 1993. They are John, Jim, Ned , Tim
Eileen(Mallon), Sr Helena and Joan(Mercer)

August 2010, Ned & Brenda with daughter Madeline, her husband Brad and Grandchildren Nicole and Steven

This is the one and only picture available of Ned's father Jack 'Jamesy'  Corridan who died in 1960. He was also known as Jack d'athlete . He was according to Ned a very accomplished athlete and Ned recalled of how he would run to a race meeting, win the race and then run home. In his day , after beating the Munster Champion he got an offer to go and run in the USA. He turned down the offer as he felt that due to the physical demands of training that Athletes had a very short career..it wasn't for him

Bishop O' Dowd High School....The Corridan Connection

Bishop O'Dowd High School was established in September, 1951 by the Archdiocese of San Francisco as a Catholic co-institutional memorial high school named in honor of Bishop James T. O'Dowd. At the time of his sudden death in a traffic accident, Bishop O'Dowd was in the process of planning a new Catholic high school in the East Bay.
The school opened with 120 freshmen in facilities provided by St. Louis Bertrand School, with a faculty of two priests and four sisters. The school was staffed by diocesan priests, the Sisters of St. Dominic of Adrian, Michigan and lay men and women. More than 13,000 graduates fulfill roles of leadership and serviceThe late Bishop Mark


Bishop James was born in 1907 in San Francisco. He was the son of Mr ? O' Dowd who came from near Abbeyfeale and his wife Margaret Corridan of Knockmaol. Margaret was one of about 8 children of the marriage of Jamesie Corridan and his first wife , Maria Dillon.

The Origins of Corridan's Cross

  

This is the Cottage and Land holding that gives it's name to Corridan's Cross.

 

It could be yours ........or at least it could have been up to a year or so. It was put on the market shortly after the passing of its last resident , legend and jovial and lovable  rogue.. Billy Mason.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Missing from over the front door is a wooden plinth that had the engraving " Corridan's Cross"



Corridan's Cross in the Townland of Kilgarvan got its name from one William Corridan. William Corridan (1837-1898) was the son of Patrick Corridan and Catherine Reidy who married in Duagh in 1826 . He  worked as a Steward or farm Manager at Eagor Sandes, Ballyhennessey .  In the early 1880's he purchased 10-20 acres at Kilgarvan . William I think had 5/6 daughters and 2 sons. One son went to USA and William Jnr stayed at home. He was born 1881 and died in Kilgarvan  on 19-2-1971 aged 90. Old William as well as his son William were both buried in the bosom of The Corridan Family Grave in Duagh.
Elizabeth one of Williams daughters stayed at home and married a Mason and among their children were Helen & Billy. Helen went to the USA where she worked at The Roger Smith Hotel on Park Avenue, New York.  Helen was a Mother Theresa like figure in New York ,in that she endeavoured that every young Irish emigrant got a start in some job or other.
Billy looked after his Mother and  the House where there never was a dull moment, as he had an open door policy and anyone travelling the Roads was more than welcome to call.
Elizabeth Mason died aged 95 in November of 1989.