Dr Daphne Desiree Charlotte Pochin Mould (15 November 1920 – 29 April 2014) was a photographer, broadcaster, geologist, traveller, pilot and Ireland's first female flight instructor. She had a strong interest in archaeology and took thousands of oblique aerial photos across most of southern Ireland. The collection created is private but is catalogued and some photos may be available.
Life and work
Pochin Mould was born in
Salisbury
Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath.
Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...
in England near Stonehenge in 1920. She studied geology in Edinburgh during the war. In 1946 she received her PhD in
geology
Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...
from the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
for her thesis entitled 'The Geology of the Foyers Plutonic Complex and the surrounding country'.
[Available at th]
Edinburgh Research Archive
/ref> Born into an Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
family Pochin Mould first became agnostic, determined to attack religion in the name of truth. However, during the writing of one of her early books she converted to Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and became Catholic on 11 November 1950. She moved to Ireland following her conversion and an interest in the Celtic saints and lived in Aherla
Aherla () is a small village in County Cork, Ireland, with a population of approximately 570. It is in the townlands of ''Aherla More'' and ''Rathard''. Aherla is built on a limestone shelf typical of County Cork's ridges and valleys. The village ...
, Co Cork, Ireland subsequently. Pochin Mould learned to drive at 17 and always had an interest in machinery. She learned to fly and found it useful for cataloguing archaeological sites in fields that could be seen from the air. She was known for being a skilled pilot.
In 1993 she received an honorary doctorate from University College Cork
University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh) is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork.
The university was founded in 1845 as one of ...
when she was described as "a scientist and a free spirit, a courageous pioneer and an outstanding woman warrior". According to the late Professor Colm Ó hEocha, President of University College Galway
The University of Galway ( ga, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe) is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland. A tertiary education and research institution, the university was awarded the full five QS stars for excellence in 201 ...
there are three criteria for honorary doctorates from the National University of Ireland
The National University of Ireland (NUI) ( ga, Ollscoil na hÉireann) is a federal university system of ''constituent universities'' (previously called ''university college, constituent colleges'') and ''recognised colleges'' set up under t ...
(of which Cork is a college):
* The person's achievement must be outstanding
* Irish life must have been enriched by it and
* The conferring of the honorary degree must honour the university as well as the person.
Daphne Pochin Mould died at Aherla
Aherla () is a small village in County Cork, Ireland, with a population of approximately 570. It is in the townlands of ''Aherla More'' and ''Rathard''. Aherla is built on a limestone shelf typical of County Cork's ridges and valleys. The village ...
, County Cork, on 29 April 2014.
Published works
Books
*''Discovering Cork'' (1991)
*''Valentia : Portrait of an Island'' (1978)
*''Aran Islands'' (1977)
*''Mountains of Ireland'' (1976)
*''The Monasteries of Ireland: An Introduction'' (1976)
*''Ireland; From the Air'' (1973)
*''A book of Irish saints and Irish saints' names'' (1965)
*''Saint Finbar of Cork'' (1965.)
*''Saint Brigid'' (1964)
*''Whitefriars Street Church. A Short Guide'' (1964)
*''The Irish saints: Short biographies of the principal Irish saints from the time of St. Patrick to that of St. Laurence O'Toole'' (1964)
*''The Second Vatican Council'' (1963)
*''Angels of God: their rightful place in the modern world'' (1963)
*''The Lord is Risen: The Liturgy of Paschal Time'' (1960)
*''Peter's boat: A convert's experience of Catholic living'' (1959)
*''The Irish Dominicans: The Friars Preachers in the History of Catholic Ireland'' (1957)
*''Irish pilgrimage'' (1957)
*''The Celtic saints, our heritage.'' (1956)
*''Mountains of Ireland'' (1955)
*''Ireland of the Saints'' (1953)
*''West Over Sea'' (1953), (1999)
*''The Rock of Truth'' (1953)
*''Scotland of the Saints'' (1952)
*''The Roads From the Isles: a Study of the North-West Highland Tracks'' (1950)
Articles
*''Wooden ships and iron men'' (2011)
*''Timber'' (2010)
*''Brother Gerard of Taizé'' Miscellany of Creative Writings. (1997)
*''IRELAND OF THE WELCOMES MAGAZINE'' (1974)
*''Monte Sant'Angelo perched between rock and sky'' (1958)
References
External links
*M. J. O'K. "Rev. of ''Irish Pilgrimage'', by Daphne D. D. C. Pochin Mould." Blarney Magazine. 10. (1956) 70–71.
*Spray, Glenys, "A Magnificent Woman in her Flying Machine," in ''Wise Women: A Portrait''. Cork: Bradshaw Books, (1994) 129–137.
Review of a short biography of Pochin Mould
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pochin Mould, Daphne
1920 births
2014 deaths
Aerial photographers
English women writers
People from Salisbury
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
People from County Cork