The Late Margaret Rose Dolan Ballinamore lost another of its cherished senior citizens, one of the oldest in the parish with the death of Mrs Margaret Rose Dolan, Monragh and formerly of Lisnatulla. her death came on Tuesday 1st April, after a very brief illness. In her 93rd year, she had enjoyed good health right up to her last few weeks. She kept herself active in body and in mind and enjoyed being busy. Mrs Dolan, whose husband Ned died many years ago, worked hard as a housewife and as a mother and with helping out with the usual chores on the family farm, as was customary for women of her era. She had her husband raised a family of nine children on their farm in Lisnatullagh and the Dolan's were one of the best known families in the area being particularly renowned for their fine horses that they used to do the ploughing, harrowing and mowing and also for their fine herds of cattle. Early memories of Ned and Margaret Rose Dolan is of them coming into town to shop or to attend Mass, travelling on a beautiful horse and trap before the days of the motor car. The Dolan's continued as progressive farmers and Mrs Dolan was always there to play her part. Despite her busy life, she took time to have a keen interest on all the social, sporting and cultural events of Ballinamore and surroundings. As a person she was quiet, friendly, charitable with high sense of values. Her late husband Ned Dolan was household name in footballing circles being of the superstar of Leitrim's first ever Connacht Championship winning team of 1927 and also of the All-Ireland Junior home championship team of 1938. His long term playing career saw him win a number of Championships with Ballinamore, to add to his Connacht Senior and Junior medals and he was also selected on Connacht Railway Cup teams. All of the Dolans sons followed in their father's footsteps by playing with the Ballinamore Club in various grades. Like so many other wifes and mothers, Mrs Dolan would have taken on extra duties on the farm, to allow her sons take time off to represent their local club, the GAA was very much a part of the Dolan household. The deceased popularity was evidenced by the overflowing attendance at the removal of her remains and funeral and it was fitting that the chief celebrant at her funeral Mass was her son, Fr Paddy Dolan, who is ministering in the USA. The community joins in extending sympathy to Mrs Dolan's sons Peader, Eamon, Noel, Tommy and Fr Paddy, her daughters Mary Ann Maguire, Sue Sheehan, Gretta O'Neill and Ann Maguire, to her sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nephews, nieces and all the extended family. Courtesy of the Leitrim Observer April 2003 Tweet

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