Loreto's past pupil and 1916 heroine recalled at school event

A leader in the field of psychiatry, who learned her Irish from Pádraig Pearse, and who served a term in Dáil Éireann, Dr Ada English (1875-1944) was something of a trailblazer, girls attending her alma mater, Loreto College, Mullingar, learned on Thursday, as a seat was unveiled in her memory.

However, despite her part in the fight for Irish freedom, it wasn’t until she was 43 years of age that she was first eligible to vote, historian Ruth Illingworth revealed at the ceremony, at which other speakers were historian Seamus O’Brien, Loreto principal Marese Bell, consultant psychiatrist, Dr Mary O’Hanlon and Finola Colgan.

The unveiling of the seat was undertaken by retired teacher, Sr Therese Mullen, former teacher at the school, with Toni Loughnane, whoose grandfather was a first cousin of the late Dr English, who was a participant in the Easter Rising.

The master of ceremonies was Fionn Gallagher, chairman of the Mental Health Association, Mullingar, who explained that support for erection of the seat had come from Westmeath County Council, and that the seat was the work of Gibney Monumental Sculptors. He also thanked Loreto College for agreeing to have the seat installed in memory of their esteemed past pupil.

Marese Bell, current principal of Loreto, remarked that the founder of the Loreto order, Mary Ward, had said: ”I hope in God it will be seen that women in time to come will do much”, and this had indeed happened with Dr Ada English.

She also revealed that there is a focus on health within the school and it was the first in the midlands to receive the Health Promoting Schools flag.

Consultant psychiatrist, Dr Mary O’Hanlon, who, the attendance learned, held the same role at St Loman’s Hospital as Dr English had held at St Brigid’s in Balinasloe, was also present.

Dr O’Hanlon said that Ada English had taken a social and psychological approach to mental health, using occupational and social therapies to help patients.

She noted that at that time, there were “thousands in the hospitals”, but now,  people are treated in the community.

Ruth Illingworth revealed that like Dr English, she too was a past pupil of Loreto College.

“Dr Ada English was a very remarkable woman who had her education in a very remarkable school,” she stated.

Loreto College opened in 1881, with, Ms Illingworth revealed, three staff and two pupils.

“The Loreto ethos is something special and something that I think would have shaped the woman Ada English became,” she said, recalling for those present that Dr English’s father was a pharmacist who was also at one point chairman of Mullingar’s Town Commissioners. She speculated that Ms English may have picked up her passion for politics from him.

Ms Illlingworth revealed that  Dr English, who loved camogie and golf, learned her Irish from Pádraig Pearse; she spent six months in jail here having been convicted of possession of “seditious” material; and she served as a member of the second Dáíl.

“Most of her life she dedicated to her patients,” she said, describing how she had been a pioneer in the use of therapies such as ECT.

Seamus O’Brien spoke of the significance of how the Proclamation addressed itself to Irishmen “and Irishwomen”, and he spoke too of the arrival of free education for all as such an important development in this country.

“I worked in Ballinasloe for a number of years and it was there I was told [Dr English] was from Mullingar,” he said,  before going on to note of her that she had wanted to be a citizen of a republic rather than a subject of the empire.

The final speaker was Finola Colgan of the Mental Health Association of Ireland, who spoke of the Green Ribbon campaign running during May to raise awareness of mental health.