Mamie and her husband John Forde moved from Greenmount
( where they lived during the War Of Independence ) to their new home at the top of Keyser's Hill off Barracks Street in
1922 to be nearer to the family business on Frenches Quay. Fordes
funeral home was situated both sides of Keyser's Hill and is still
operational to date. The couple would
go on to have nine children
: Denis ( Dee ) , Paddy , Eileen , Hillary , Lilly , Teddy , Mary , Rita and
Babe.
In 1941 both Mamie and her husband John were awarded the Service Medal with Bar for their outstanding contributions during the War Of Independence. It is one of the few examples in Ireland of a couple being decorated by their Country who were actually married during the Tan War. They also hold the distinction of being the first couple to marry in Republican Uniform!
Sample letters from Brigade & Cumann na mBan Officers
re. Pension claim 1945
Unbelievable tragedy was to visit Mamie in the early 1940s when her three youngest children Mary , Rita and Babe all died very young in the same year with her husband John passing away the following year. Mamie now had the task of running a business in a man's world. She also applied along with her sister Nan for her Service Pension. There was no shortage of support from past Brigade and Cumann na mBan Commanders who gave glowing reports ( see above - samples from a much larger collection ) of her valour and courage.
Mamie's son Dee took over the business as a Funeral Director while Hillary worked in the Building trade with Paddy entering Politics and going on to be elected as a T.D. in 1969 ( Sadly Paddy passed away in 1972 at the young age of 50 ). Teddy went into the Publican trade while Eileen and Lily both married Farmers. At Lily's Wedding both she and her sister Eileen would wear the same brooches which Mamie had worn on her Wedding Day back in 1920. Mamie would pass away in 1967 at the age of 73.
Mamie's National Costume ( which she wore as her Wedding Dress ) and Service Medal are currently on display in Cork Museum where just recently Joe Murphy's Service Medal was handed in by his Grandniece Shirley Kelleher. Two Togher icons under the one roof. A proud past of which both families are justifiably proud of! Togher Historical Association would like to thank Jim Hegarty and members of the Forde family for their invaluable contributions including information and photographs of which just a small selection were used for the article.
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