ACIS Logo Remembering the Life of Catherine Wheelwright

Event Report: The Life and Legacy of Catherine Wheelwright

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising, the St. John Fisher College Irish Studies Program—in collaboration with several other Rochester, New York, Irish and Irish American organizations—organized an event on Sunday, April 24th, entitled “The Life and Legacy of Catherine Wheelwright.”

The purpose of this event was to honor the mother of Eamon de Valera, Catherine (Coll) Wheelwright (December 21, 1856-June 15, 1932), who is buried in Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery in Rochester. Emphasis was placed on the role Mrs. Wheelwright possibly played in saving her son’s life from execution after the Rising, as she made an emergency visit trip from Rochester to New York City to produce his birth certificate to prove that he was born in the United States. Many have claimed that the British did not wish to execute an American citizen, saving de Valera’s life. Further emphasis was placed on how Wheelwright came to live in Rochester, the role she played there in promoting the cause of Irish freedom, and de Valera’s visit to her after his escape from prison when he came to the United States to raise funds for Irish independence. Her funeral in 1932, shortly after her son became taoiseach of the Irish Free State, was also emphasized.

The main speaker at the event was Wheelwright’s great-grandson (and Eamon de Valera’s grandson), Éamon Ó Cuív, TD for Galway West and vice-president of Fianna Fáil, who came from Ireland with his wife Aine to take part in the event. Other speakers included Patricia Carey, a musician and member of the Rochester Branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, who has been researching the life and legacy of Catherine Wheelwright for many years; Tim Madigan, director of the Irish Studies Program, St. John Fisher College; Michael McCarthy, president of the Rochester Branch of the Irish American Cultural Institute; and Lynn Sullivan, chief executive officer of Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery.

The event was free and open to the public and an estimated 200 people attended the gravesite service. There was a Catholic Mass beforehand presided over by Rochester Bishop Emeritus Matthew Clark. The event was filmed so that those who could not attend will be able to benefit from it by watching the video on the St. John Fisher College Irish Studies website. It is being edited and should be available sometime later this summer. A generous grant from the Irish Consulate General’s office helped to make the event possible. For further details please contact Tim Madigan at tmadigan@sjfc.edu.

Media:

“Local Easter Rising Event Marks Irish History Connection,” Democrat & Chronicle, 19 April 2016.

“Easter Rising Commemorated,” Catholic Courier, 10 May 2016.