Phelan family celebration of their rich legacy is recalled

Over eighty members of the extended Phelan family travelled from far and wide for a reunion in Thurles Golf Club in late October.

The reunion was organised in celebration of the lives and legacies of William Phelan and Dolly Phelan (nee Mills), with their granddaughters Noreen Fitzgerald and Patricia O’Dwyer planning the festivities of the evening.

The couple originally moved to Thurles in 1952 with their five daughters, Pearl Mulcaire, Kathleen O’Boyle, Patsy Durack, Aileen Dunne and Betty Fitzgerald.

William, a native of Clonmel, and Dolly, native of Tramore, Co. Waterford, managed Thurles Golf Club until they retired to Lady’s Well Cottage, Mill Road, Thurles.

The reunion was organised to coincide with the wedding anniversary of William and Dolly and to celebrate the impressive legacy they left behind, with five daughters, 40 grandchildren, 78 great grandchildren and 20 great-great grandchildren.
Family members travelled from all corners of the world to celebrate, with the largest contingent travelling with Kathleen O’Boyle, William and Dolly’s daughter, from Luton, England.

Other family members travelled from locations such as Brussels, Italy and Barcelona with several others travelling from North Carolina and Buffalo in the United States.

Daughters, Kathleen, Aileen and Betty attended the reunion in memory of their loving parents, with thoughts and prayers being with their sister Pearl who was unable to attend due to ill health and sister Patsy, who passed away in 2014.

Daughters Patsy and Aileen remained in Thurles, raising their families of 11 and four respectively, with many of their children and grandchildren still residing in Thurles.

Kathleen moved to Luton, England in the 1960’s with husband Tom O’Boyle, raising a family of six children.

Pearl moved to Kilrush, Co. Clare with husband Gerard Mulcaire of Thurles, and raised 11 children and Betty married Donal Fitzgerald, raising her family of eight children in Martinstown, Co. Limerick.

The evening’s events consisted of a three course meal laid on by the staff in Thurles Golf Club, with the walls adorned with pictures of William and Dolly’s children, grandchildren and great grandchildren throughout the years.

Kathleen O’Boyle compiled several stories from her youth growing up in Thurles with her four sisters, which was read out by her son, Thomas O’Boyle, leaving many teary eyes throughout the room.

The reunion offered many family members the opportunity to catch up with those whom they have not seen for a number of years and for others to meet the next generation of the Phelan clan for the first time.

Those in attendance have attributed the reunion as being a once in a lifetime opportunity, one which may never be repeated again and have regarded it as an amazing reflection of the legacy of William and Dolly.