The Northern Rivers Times
February 22, 2024!!!
12 NEWS
A blessed 100 years for Dympna By Samantha Elley Late last month a very special lady celebrated 100 years on this earth and 74 of her family, friends and former students gathered to enjoy the day with her. Dympna Agnes Sheehy (nee Ryall) was born of Irish heritage in Glen Innes in 1924 and it was where she grew up on the family sheep station. The Great War was over and Australia was experiencing a resurgence economically and socially. For Dympna, although into her second century, has a good memory for the early years. “(My first memory) was sitting on my father’s knee,” she said. “It was before I could read as I remember saying ‘what’s that?’. “I learnt to read all the capital letters and I could read before I went to school.” In 1937 Dympna passed the Armidale Roman Catholic Diocesan Examinations with the highest marks in the whole diocese for history and geography. For this she received the Gold Medal Award. With a bright mind and a deep faith, Dympna entered the convent to become a Sister of Mercy in 1940 after she left school. Two years later she took her final vows and was professed as Sister Mary Gemma. Throughout her time in the convent, Sister Mary Gemma taught at a number of different primary schools around Grafton, Macksville, Yamba and Kyogle and even in Sydney. “I taught any subject, mainly sixth class,” she said. “Mainly in (St Brigids) Kyogle, but I taught in St Michael’s in Sydney and South Grafton.” The impression she made on her students has stayed strong throughout the
Above: Dympna (left) as a school girl
Dympna and family celebrating 100 years
years with some of them attending her 100 year celebrations, including a priest and a QC. The times were changing for the education system and when the government started funding Catholic schools, the new policy required all teachers to be tertiary qualified. “Dympna was unable to continue in her preferred teaching role,” said niece Gemma Duffy. Dympna made the hard decision to leave the convent and find ways to continue her vocation in the community.. “It was difficult to enter (the convent) and it was difficult to come out,” Dympna said with emotion. It was around this time her best friend wanted to go to Lourdes to dip in the water and Dympna went with her and her husband for three months. Sadly, soon after their return, the friend passed away and Dympna was there to help her friend’s husband, John Sheehy through his grief. John eventually asked Dympna to marry him and so began a new chapter in her life. Dympna has travelled all around the world, including Egypt with an exciting cruise down the Nile, traversing America in a
Winnebago, Vietnam, Italy, New Zealand, Ireland, to visit the house where her mother had lived, and even to Israel. “I wanted to put my feet in the Jordan River,” she laughed. Ms Duffy said the many gifts Dympna received for her birthday were very thoughtful, including a special homemade Irish whiskey concoction made with local honey. “The message on the bottle said, ‘take a tablespoon every night and when you run out I’ll get a new prescription made up’,” Ms Duffy said. “That was (from) her best friend’s daughter.” Dympna also received cards from the King and Queen, Governor General, the Prime Minister and a most special blessing from Pope Francis himself. Another thoughtful gift was a framed blackboard with the names from all her students at St Bridgid’s who wanted to wish her many happy returns. There were memories from her students of Sister Gemma as a football coach, hitching up her skirts to show the kids how to kick a ball, being remembered as the first nun to drive a car and her willingness to always catch up with her students long after they had
left primary school. “One of her nicknames in the convent was ‘Tigger’,” said Ms Duffy “Because she always landed on her feet.” Dympna puts her ability to face life’s challenges in the faith she has in God. “God’s looked after me,” she said. Her love of life has been expressed in her love of people and her interest in sport and technology. “Dympna loved playing golf, tennis, and croquet ” said Ms Duffy “She is very competitive.” When her injuries meant she could no longer play active sports, Dympna developed a love of cards and board games, especially rummicub and mahjong. Dympna will also admit to playing hockey and basketball and those year six football games. Dympna is well-skilled in the internet and an avid iPhone user as well as a Facebook regular. “She still enjoys keeping in touch with her grand nieces and nephews who are now spread around the world,” said Ms Duffy. “She always provides advice or humour, or just a smiley face when we need it. “She loves Irish jokes and even now can recite one at the drop of a hat.”
Dympna and her father
Dympna also has a good set of green thumbs on her. “She was teaching the children how to garden when she worked at the Cowper orphanage,” said Ms Duffy “She got them all into the garden introduced them to gardening. The abundant produce meant they rarely had to buy vegetables and the children had fun as they learned their new skills .” After her husband’s death, Dympna moved to Ballina. She continued working in the Parish community, running a Christian meditation group, and taking a keen interest in the social justice group with special concern for refugees and the homeless. When asked the inevitable question, of what she attributes to her longevity,
Dympna has three main tips. “Good genes, a healthy lifestyle and my faith, that would be first,” she said. “God’s always come to my assistance.” The tipple of Baileys Irish Cream and an episode of Home and Away each night could be added to that list as well. An Irish joke from Dympna Mary had died and Paddy, her husband was in the pub with Mick, his friend. Mick asked, ‘How are you getting on without Mary? You must be lonely.’ ‘Oh no,’ Paddy said, ‘I bought meself a goat.’ Mick said, ‘A goat? What will you do about the smell?’ ‘Oh, she’ll have to put up with it.’ Paddy replied.
SALUTE A SENIOR Everyone knows a very special Richmond or Clarence Valley senior and now is the perfect time to put his or her name up for a special award with a nomination for the 2024 NSW Seniors Festival Local Achievements Awards. To nominate your favourite senior, complete the nomination at www.richiewilliamson.com.au/nominations2024, or call my office to have one sent to you. Nominations close on Friday, 1 March. Winners of the Local Achievement Awards will be announced at local events I will host around the time of the NSW Seniors Festival, 11 to 24 March 2024.
clarence@parliament.nsw.gov.au Tel: 6643 1244 www.richiewilliamson.com.au
Richie WILLIAMSON MP
Lower Clarence residents Teresa Collins and Bill McCurtayne volunteer their time driving for Connect You Too community transport service Authorised by Richie Williamson. Funded using parliamentary entitlements.
