Marble and Stone Memorials - Cornelius J. Sheehan Memorial, St. Mary's Parish Church


Cornelius J. Sheehan Memorial

This memorial is carved of marble on a limestone base by Molloy of Dungarvan & Callan. It has the following inscription:

Erected by Cornelius J. Sheehan

In memory of his beloved wife, Catherine (Nee Landers)

Died 15 February 1920 aged 76 years.

The above Cornelius J. Sheehan Died 12 March 1923 aged 78 years.

His son Patrick Joseph Died 16 March 1932 aged 43 years.

John Sheehan died 20 May 1943.

Cornelius ran the celebrated woollen mill at Ballinamuck, Dungarvan and had a shop at 22 Grattan Square which sold the tweeds he produced. According to the 1911 census he was a native of Co. Limerick and his wife Kate (Catherine) was from Co. Waterford.  The following children are listed:

Dora (aged 22), Shop Assistant; John (aged 21), Wool Spinner; Lena (aged 20), Shop Assistant; Patrick (aged 19), Factory Accountant; Cornelius (aged 18), Wool Spinner.

Cornelius had a Woollen Mill at Kilbeheny near Mitchelstown which he sold in November 1887 and moved to Dungarvan.  The Dungarvan business was a success for a period winning medals and certs at exhibitions such as: the Countess of Cadogan’s Irish textile Exhibition held in Dublin in 1897; Glasgow International Exhibition 1901; the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St Louis, 1904, and the Irish International Exhibition held in Dublin in 1907.

Woollen Mill

Cornelius J. Sheehan shop front

His obituary in the Waterford News of 23 March noted that he died unexpectedly: ‘For many years he had been contractor for woolen goods to several establishments in the South.  He was a man of the highest probity, an exemplary liver, and a devout Catholic’.  The Mill was sold in 1937.

Waterford County Museum has a small archive on the firm including tweed samples, photos, account books etc. donated by Miss Nell Cullinane.