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Welcome to the Cashel, Ferns, Ossory Mothers' Union website. The website will carry news, articles and photographs of Mothers' Union events throughout the United Diocese and also All-Ireland news.
The website will be regularly updated and if any Branch wishes to have an event, article or photograph published on the website please forward it to our Diocesan Secretary, Cecily Jones. Email: cfomothersunion@gmail.com
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CONTACT DETAILS
Cashel, Ferns, Ossory
For further information please contact:
Diocesan Secretary: Cecily Jones
News Updates
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Latest News
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Congratulations to Linda Ward who has just been announced as the new Diocesan President for cashel Ferns and Ossory.
Linda is a member of Castlecomer Branch and we wish her every blessing as she takes on this new role in Mothers' Union.
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A Brief article about the New Diocesan President
Linda Ward
I grew up in Kiltegan, Co.Wicklow, the eldest of 4 with 3 brothers. I trained as a general nurse in the Adelaide hospital, specialising in coronary care, before continuing with midwifery training and later managing a nursing home.
I married and moved to Castlecomer, Co.Kilkenny in 1995 and the following year had the first of my four children, 2 girls and 2 boys. I continued nursing until I retired in 2023.
My mother is a member of Kiltegan branch of Mothers union and the friendships made and fellowship shared are still as important to her and her fellow members today as they were when they joined as young women.
My husband is a farmer and I regularly brought my mother in law in to MU meetings in Castlecomer. Having joined Castlecomer branch in 1998 I was soon asked to be branch secretary. I greatly enjoyed going to the Diocesan council meetings where I learned so much about MU locally, at All Ireland level and worldwide.
With encouragement I became the Young families representative for the diocese and organised an annual diocesan Young families conference for a number of years, which were very successful. During that time a parenting group facilitators training program was organised by All Ireland MU, which was recognised and accredited by London Open College Network and which was attended by trainees from around the country, with
a number of us from CFO attending. We were supported to run parenting classes in our areas which were attended by mothers and fathers from the local community and were recognised as being of great benefit. MU participation in the Ploughing Championships, in which I have been actively involved, offered an opportunity to further use this training to support young families.I travelled to Uganda in 2004 to visit my brother and his family who were working there with the Church Missionary Society of Ireland. While there, I visited a number of MU branches and saw first hand the work MU do in empowering women to set up micro credit unions to fund their businesses selling crafts, fruit and vegetables as well as basic family health care and other projects. Their joyful faith in God was inspiring.
I was VP for the Ossory area of the diocese for 6 years. In recent years I have been the social policies rep for the diocese.
My personal faith in God is central to who I am and all I do. I am actively involved in the parish here in Castlecomer and am a member of Diocesan council, General Synod and Diocesan Synod, where I have been appointed Honorary Secretary.
We in Cashel, Ferns and Ossory Mothers union are blessed to have so many talented and gifted members. Working together as a team, I see the role of Diocesan president is to encourage and nurture members and branches throughout the diocese with the MU vision of a world where God’s love is shown through loving, respectful and flourishing relationships at the centre of all we do.
Linda
For a list of all of the new Officers to serve in Cashel, Ferns, Ossory Mothers' Union, please click HERE
Our grateful thanks to all of the outgoing Officers for all of the time, energy and commitment they put into their roles in Mothers' Union in the Diocese.
Click on the image above to bring you to
the All-Ireland website to read all about
The Triennial All-Ireland Mothers'
Union Conference 2023
Click on the image above to view a video of the work
of Mothers' Union in Ireland created for
The Annual Gathering in Belfast 2022
Click on the image above to download a poster re
grants available from CFO Mothers' Union
Mothers' Union Video
Click on the Mothers' Union emblem below to see the video highlighting the work of Mothers' Union which was filmed at the Triennial Conference in Termonfeckin in March 2017
The video features members of Mothers' Union from around Ireland telling all about the organisation and the many different projects supported by Mothers' Union both here at home and in Third World Countries.
One of the clips features our very own Joan Blake who can be seen knitting a matinee jacket and talking about the Mothers' Union Knitting Project
Below also is a link to the main Mothers' Union
Facebook Page
The All-Ireland Facebook Pages
Click on the image above to to bring you
to a page on the All Ireland Website
with a Report on the Getaway Weekend 2023
Click on the image below to bring you to the
All-Ireland You Tube Channel
SPIN AUTUMN 2024
The latest edition of Spin is now available
to download.
Click on the image below
Q Code to Donate to Mothers' Union
Changing the Story Initiative
Christmas Cards
Occasional Cards & Gifts
Available from
* MU Enterprise *
Sadly Naomi has had to step down from her role as
MU Enterprise Representative
New details will be posted as soon as available
Save the Date
Annual Getaway 2025
The Mothers' Union Harvest Service Portlaoise took place in Saint Peter's Church, Grattan Street, Portlaoise, Co. Laois on Sunday 5th November.
Click on the image above to view a video of the service
Click on the image above to view a video of the service
Click on the image to read all about the 2024
Getaway Weekend
All Ireland Holy Communion Services
2025
Mothers’ Union Holy Communion Service
March 2025
Dublin & Glendalough DioceseThursday 6th March @ 11.15a.m.inChrist Church Cathedral DublinThe Service will be live streamed ~ Click on the link below
June's Walk in Kilkenny
June Butler's first walk in the Diocese took place in Kilkenny on Thursday 8th June. We are very grateful to Florrie Carter and her team in Kilkenny Mothers' Union for all of the time and effort they put in to ensure that everything ran smoothly. Those participating enjoyed a lovely walk over the new bridge, by the river and on to the Castle Grounds before returning to the cathedral. Pat Nolan accompanied us on the walk giving an interesting account of all of the historical areas we passed. Sam Harper met up with us en route and provided same lovely ice-cream for refreshments. Some of the walkers had other commitments and were unable to continue on the walk but eight completed it. We were delighted that Bishop Michael Burrows was able to join us for the walk too.
Our thanks to the ladies from Kilkenny MU for all of the hospitality they provided both before and after the walk.
June thanked everyone for their support and welcome to Kilkenny. Florrie Carter, Branch leader, presented June with a small token to mark her visit to Kilkenny.
June's Second Walk ~ Tintern Abbey
June Butler's second walk in CFO took place on Monday 12th July at Tintern Abbey near Saltmills in Co. Wexford. The weather forecast for the morning was miserable but thankfully it turned out to be fine and a lovely day for walking. It was wonderful to meet up with so many members before eight set off to complete one of the longer walks through the woods.
June was delighted to meet up with Bea Thorpe in the walled gardens and have a chat with her. Three ladies set off with June to complete a further two kilometers so as to achieve her 7km target on each walk. When we arrived back in the car park we met up with Anne Barrett, a former All-Ireland President, and our own Phyllis Grothier, who was the previous All-Ireland President, was also present.
Our thanks to Olive Thorpe for her work in arranging the walk and to everyone who attended Tintern Abbey on the day.
Walk No. 3 in Cashel, Ferns, Ossory
June's third walk in Cashel, Ferns, Ossory, the final walk of her series for Mums in May 2021, took place on Tuesday 26th October. The venue for the walk was the Railway Walk in Tinahely. We were delighted that many from the Diocese were able to attend as well as Sylvia Wheatley (Diocesan President of Meath & Kildare) with some of her family and also the All-Ireland Treasurer, Revd. Ken Rue. June began by thanking everyone for coming to join her on the walk and Revd. Rue led us in prayer. Lesley Bayley, Diocesan President of CFO, also welcomed June to Tinahely for her final walk before a group headed off on the walk led by local MU member, Hazel Stedman.
Four walkers completed just over 7kms with June through a lovely tranquil area of woodland and admiring the lovely autumnal colours of the trees. They met up with those who had completed a shorter walk on their return to the car park. A group then adjourned to the D'Lish Cafe in Tinahely for lunch.
A large number of members from Cashel, Ferns and Ossory and friends enjoyed a lovely afternoon in Rathwood on Friday 3rd June. They enjoyed a delicious "Afternoon Tea" and it was a wonderful occasion for everyone to meet up for a chat too. The afternoon was organised by our Diocesan President, Lesley Bayley, not only to celebrate the Platinum Jublilee of our Patron, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 2, but also to raise much needed funds for our Diocesan Projects. Thank you Lesley for all of the thought and effort you put in to all of the activities for Mothers' Union in the Diocese.
The Diocese has also been busy providing much needed support to a Ukranian family who are being rehoused in Enniscorthy. Members have also been knitting and sewing fiddle sleeves and blankets at the request of a nursing home in Kilkenny. These are used with patients who are suffering from dementia and a request came to Mothers' Union to see if we could provide a supply for patients in the nursing home.
Getting to know our Founder In Ireland
Annabella Hayes
1847 – 1921
Mothers’ Union was founded in Raheny, Dublin in 1887 by Mrs Annabella Hayes. As we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of her death, let’s learn a little more about our founder.
Canon and Mrs Hayes liked to travel and visited Norway, Switzerland and Canada. After their daughter Marie's untimely death in Delhi in 1908 aged 33, they travelled to Delhi to visit the hospital where Marie had worked for the previous three years and to meet people she had worked with. Later Annabella edited and published letters which Marie had written to home. Marie's final letter, sadly, arrived some weeks after the fateful telegram giving news of her death had been received in Raheny. The Hayes memorial cross in Raheny village was erected some years later.
Annabella was born in Dublin in 1847, the daughter of Thomas Edkins Willson of Upper Mount Street. In December 1866 she married the Reverend Francis Carlile Hayes who was then curate in Sandford Parish Church. She was nineteen years old and he was twenty-eight.
In 1867 he was appointed curate of St. Andrew's Church, Suffolk Street, and their first child, Ernest William Carlile Hayes, was born in February 1868. In 1873, Sir Arthur Edward Guinness (later Lord Ardilaun) appointed him Rector of Raheny Parish and he and Annabella moved to the Glebe House where they were to remain for the next forty-five years.
Their second child, Marie Elizabeth (always known as May) was born in May1874, and in April 1878 her sister Ethel Clara Ridley was born. A boy, Maurice, was born in 1886 but sadly died in infancy. Ernest went to school at St.Columba's and an English governess, Connie Gibbs of Willesden, was appointed to look after the education of the two girls.
In 1887 Annabella Hayes set up the first branch of the Mothers' Union in Raheny, inspired by what Mary Sumner had done in England eleven years before. Little did either of them know that in the twenty-first century world-wide membership of M.U would have grown to over four million.
Francis and Annabella were still in the Raheny Rectory when they celebrated their Golden Wedding in 1916. Canon Hayes retired in 1918 and he and Annabella moved to 12 Northbrook Road which was apparently owned by Francis since his days at St. Andrew's. Annabella survived a bad bout of 'flu shortly after they moved, but was taken ill again about a year later. She was diagnosed with liver cancer and died at home on the 7th February 1921.
Annabella was buried in St. Fintan's Cemetery in Sutton and her headstone (and that of Francis) stands at the highest point of the Cemetery. It is, however, not made of stone but of wood - teak, and despite its having stood there for 100 years there is absolutely no sign of decay in the timber. Mothers’ Union in Ireland had planned to do some restorative work to her gravesite during 2021 but has been put on hold because of Covid 19 restrictions.
Annabella was 74 when she died on 7th February 1921 and Francis was 94 when he died on 12th December 1931.
Click on the photograph of Annabella to bring you to a dedicated page
on the All-Ireland Website covering the centenary celebrations.
MULOA is a new initiative from Mothers' Union
which aims to look at Mothers' Union going forward.
You will be hearing a lot about it at Branch Level in the coming months.
Click on the MULOA symbol to see a short video about this initiative.
PRAYER FOR MULOA
We pray that our God will make us fit for what he’s called us to be,
that he’ll fill our good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy
so that it all amounts to something.
As our lives honour the name of Jesus,
may he honour us, by his grace; our God giving himself freely,
the Master, Jesus Christ, giving himself freely. Amen
Based on 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 (The Message)
Charity Number:
Republic of Ireland:
Mothers’ Union in Ireland is recognised as a Charity by the Revenue Commissioners, 5161.
Mothers’ Union in Ireland is recognised as a Charity by the Revenue Commissioners, 5161.
Registered Charity Number - 20007331 (Charities Regulatory Authority).
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