Margaret Phelan (née Duggan, 22 December 1902 – 24 February 2000) was President of the

Kilkenny Archaeological Society The Kilkenny Archaeological Society is an archaeological society in County Kilkenny, Ireland. History The Kilkenny Archaeological Society was founded in 1946.. An older society with the same name existed,. which developed into the Royal Society ...

, given freedom of the city of

Kilkenny Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512. Kilken ...

and ensured the restoration of

Rothe House Rothe House is a late 16th-century merchant's townhouse complex located in the city of Kilkenny. The complex was built by John Rothe Fitz-Piers between 1594–1610 and is made up of three houses, three enclosed courtyards, and a large reconstr ...

in Kilkenny. She was also the first Ladies president of the Kilkenny Golf Club.

Early life

Born Margaret Mary Duggan, known as Daisy, on 22 December 1902 to Richard Duggan in William St,

. Her father was a prosperous Kilkenny merchant who owned and ran the Monster House, a major department store in the city. Her mother was Richard Duggan's second wife, Henrietta Fitzgibbon of

Castlerea Castlerea (; ) is the third largest town in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is located in the west of the county and had a population of 1,992 at the 2016 Census. Roughly translated from Irish, Castlerea is generally thought to mean 'brindled ca ...

and Phelan was her mother's eldest daughter. She had two sisters, Nin and Eva and two brothers Jack and Paddy who were from that marriage and three half-brothers Peter, Tommy and Dick. She went both to the Loreto Convent, Kilkenny, and Our Lady's Bower in

Athlone Athlone (; ) is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree. It is the second most populous town in the Midlands Region with a population of ...

, before going to

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 ...

where she graduated with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

and

Commerce Commerce is the large-scale organized system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions directly and indirectly related to the exchange (buying and selling) of goods and services among two or more parties within local, regional, nation ...

in 1923. She met her husband on an archaeological day at the

Rock of Cashel The Rock of Cashel ( ga, Carraig Phádraig ), also known as Cashel of the Kings and St. Patrick's Rock, is a historic site located at Cashel, County Tipperary, Ireland. History According to local legends, the Rock of Cashel originated in the ...

and they were married in 1925. He was William Phelan the Kilkenny County Surgeon. They had daughters Ellen, Peggy, Breda and Hendy and one son, Bill.

Historical impact

With friends, in 1945, she decided to reform the

which had originally been started in the city in 1849. The Society developed into the

Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland The Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland is a learned society based in Ireland, whose aims are "to preserve, examine and illustrate all ancient monuments and memorials of the arts, manners and customs of the past, as connected with the antiquit ...

and moved to

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

leaving Kilkenny without such a group. Phelan was aware of the losses the city had suffered in buildings which were destroyed or fell down during the time when there was no focus group to protect them. As a result, she ensured the new KAS was involved in the old buildings in the city. In 1962, she ensured the Kilkenny Archaeological Society bought

which needed renovation and restoration. It is now a major attraction in the city and houses a permanent museum. The restoration of this building led to the protection and restoration of many other major architectural buildings in Kilkenny and directly impacted tourism. Her focus on history was not confined to recovering important buildings. Phelan was a regular and major contributor to the Old Kilkenny Review. She made notes of all the inscriptions in the city's graveyards. She wrote several major historical studies which gained national recognition.

Other activities

Phelan was a sportswoman who played hockey for

Munster Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...

while she was in college. In 1931 she was Lady Captain of the Golf club in Kilkenny and became the first Ladies president in 1993. She was a regular bridge player.

Appreciation

In recognition of the impact her continuing work had on Kilkenny, in 1987 Phelan was awarded the freedom of the city. One of the rooms in Rothe house was named after her. When she died Kilkenny gave her a ceremonial civic funeral with Sergeants-at-arms carrying the sword and mace while the mayor and corporation wore their robes and chains of office.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phelan, Margaret 1902 births 2000 deaths People from Kilkenny (city) Alumni of University College Cork Irish women writers 20th-century Irish historians Irish women non-fiction writers Women historians Members of Kilkenny Archaeological Society