1936 – 2026
Born: 19th June 1936
Entered Religious Life: 30th January 1956
Died: 6th May 2026
Sr Margaret was born on 19th June 1936 to John and Imelda Ivers (nee Sheehan) in Cork. The family moved to Dublin when she was still young. It was in this home that her faith was nurtured and fostered. She was christened Hannah Mary Margaret but was generally known as Margaret.
For Margaret, her family was very precious to her and she always tried to remember birthdays, First Communion days, Confirmations and Anniversaries. The family reciprocated with their love, their generosity and support. For her golden jubilee as a Religious, her brother-in-law Pat Lambert carved a most beautiful rosary beads, each bead depicting significant dates and places she resided in over the years. Through this lovely rosary her family and her Religious life were united.
At age twenty Margaret entered the Religious Sisters of Charity. Soon after her First Profession she was missioned to teach in our school in Basingstoke, England. This was the beginning for her of a long life of teaching, principalship and educational management.
Following her training in Carysfort College, her educational ministry brought her to serve as teacher and Principal of our schools in Ballaghaderreen, Harold’s Cross, East Wall and Mountjoy Street.
Throughout her teaching ministry, Margaret showed a great love for children, their welfare and development. Having been a camogie player when she herself was a pupil in Kings Inn Street Secondary School, (her team actually winning a trophy cup) she taught camogie in most schools she was missioned to. She was often seen out in the fields teaching and playing camogie with the students.
In 1986 she was offered a sabbatical, went to Liverpool to do Religious Studies returning to Mountjoy Street School to take on the role of Principal there and also became involved in neighbourhood retreats.
During her first sojourn in Merrion she studied for a Masters Degree in ‘contemporary education’ and also helped with a project for the Provincial Team on Provincial analysis.
She served on the committee of the Association of Primary Teaching Sisters of Ireland. At her Funeral Very Rev. Msgr. Dan O’Connor, Episcopal Vicar for Education, Archbishops House, Dublin spoke of her great work as Vice-Chair of this Association and how she and Sr Mary Collins, Salesian, and Chair of APTS worked together to negotiate with Department of Education Officials on behalf of Catholic Education Schools in Ireland.
Even after she was long retired, Margaret brightened up when children were present. She would always have a beautiful smile for them. Her Sister, Violet, said she often noticed that Margaret would also have a smile for anyone who visited her who had a school/teaching connection.
During October 2025, she was brought to the botanical gardens where the season of Autumn was beautifully displayed with pumpkins, giant cabbages etc. When a group of school children arrived on tour, Margaret came to life, listening keenly to their questions and watched with fascination their enthusiasm for the display of fruits and vegetables.
Margaret was also keenly interested in justice. She became involved in Pax Christi, a Catholic International Peace movement and this led her to do restorative justice work with prisoners. For some time, she worked in Shanganagh Open Prison assisting prisoners to turn their lives around. Her teaching experience also helped her to assist prisoners with literacy problems.
For a short time also, she served as local leader for the Crumlin Community. She continued her restorative justice work while residing in Elm Park Convent and Lakelands.
While in Kilbarrack (Thornville Drive) she served as Parish Sister in Fairview parish noticing the need to do something for the elderly in the parish and so with others, they founded the Tuesday Club for the elderly which celebrated its 10th anniversary during the past year.
She also maintained a keen interest in our Foundress, Mary Aikenhead and her cause for sanctification, encouraging others to promote devotion to her and spreading knowledge of her. This was especially evident in Fairview parish where they published their own leaflets at their own expense and arranged to publicly recite the Novena to Mary Aikenhead in July each year.
Margaret was missioned to Providence in Merrion in 2016 and continued in Fairview as pastoral assistant until her health began to fail in earnest. In spite of ill health and numerous trips to hospital, she continued to maintain an interest in Fairview parish and in all things educational.
One of her favourite sayings was from St Francis De Sales:
‘Every moment is an opportunity to serve the Lord by prayer, work, silence, speaking and suffering.’
She certainly had her fair share of suffering. From the time she was in her 50’s she struggled with ill-health of one kind or another. Her mind was so active that at times she seemed to find it difficult to accept that her body was failing her and not keeping up with her mind.
She retired to Marian House Nursing Home Glasnevin (run by the Holy Faith Congregation) in 2020. It took her some time to settle there but she eventually involved herself in the activities which she loved. Margaret loved to attend the Tuesday Club in Fairview after she moved to Marian House, transport being provided by one of the volunteers from the Club. She engaged with the residents, many of whom loved to visit her in her room for a chat. The love they had for Margaret was evident by their tears and sadness on the day her coffin was brought out of the Nursing Home.
She died on 6th May, 2026 in Marian House Nursing Home. The readings and hymns chosen for her funeral Mass tell us something of her faith, her love of Mary, Queen of the May and of Mary as ‘a Mhuire Mhathair’. Her family contributed a poem written by her brother-in-law and recited by her grand-niece at the funeral Mass. She is buried in Donnybrook community cemetery.
May our Blessed Lady bring Margaret safely home to God and may God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit welcome her into her heavenly home. Amen.
May she rest in peace.
