Dr. Nora Stack,
Studied medicine at TCD:
Nora studied medicine in
TCD.
It was a remarkable thing for three siblings
of modest background to go to university.
It happened because one of the Christian Brothers at
Synge Street,
where her brother Bill went to school,
took an interest in the family.
The Christian Brother
helped Bill out, and he got into university in America in 1921.
The Christian Brother tutored Nora to get into TCD.
She entered TCD maybe 1921 (if 4 year BA, plus one year out working).
She had to work her way through university - family had no money.
At one point she had to leave her course for an entire year to work in the post office to make her fees.
Nora got a
BA at TCD in 1926.
Continued in medical studies.
While she was at TCD, in 1927, the Catholic Hierarchy issued
an order that no Catholic should attend TCD
"under pain of grave sin".
(This was reinforced 1944:
"Any Catholic who disobeys this law is guilty of mortal sin".
Order finally scrapped 1970.)
At Trinity she became friends with
Dr. Marie Lea-Wilson.
Nora received
MB
(Hons) TCD, 1st class honours, Nov 1928.
She was
living
35 Heytesbury St
at time.
Her daughter Finola
said Nora considered being a nun at one point.
Took it seriously enough to enter
Loreto convent, Rathfarnham.
Finola thinks it was after she qualified in medicine,
since the story is they were not interested in her medical qualifications and would have preferred her to be a teacher.
She left after maybe a few months.
Worked as a doctor, 1929 to 1933:
Nora was
working at
Coombe Hospital, Dublin, as at June 1929.
She was
Resident Medical Officer
at the
Royal City of Dublin Hospital,
Dublin,
July 1929 - Aug 1930, including 6 months as House Physician,
7 months as House Surgeon.
One day, staff all gone to a rugby international.
Nora in charge.
No anaesthetist left.
Nick O'Dwyer taken in from the
South County Dublin Hunt
(Nora's future husband Frank hunted with O'Dwyer, but he and Nora didn't meet
at this stage).
Nora
had to give O'Dwyer 36 stitches without anaesthetic.
At one stage he looked up weakly:
"Is this girl qualified?"
She was working at Croom Hospital,
Co.Limerick, as at 1930.
Nora got
D.Ph.
TCD, June 1931.
In 1932 when she met Frank she was working at
Royal Hospital for Consumption for Ireland,
Newtown Mountkennedy
sanatorium, Co.Wicklow.
She went to England.
Worked as
Assistant School Medical Officer in South Shields,
Newcastle, NE England,
Nov 1932.
At marriage her address is given as Moore Ave, Harton,
South Shields
(see map).
At marriage
Frank is at a temporary address at St. Gregory's Catholic presbytery, Harton,
South Shields
(see following).
Nora
mar 31 July 1933
[her age 30, him age 46]
to Frank Flanagan
[born 11 Dec 1886] and had issue.
They mar
at
St. Gregory's Catholic church,
Harton,
South Shields.
See mar cert.
And copy.
NOT 29 June.
Staff of the Coombe Hospital, Dublin, June 1929.
Nora is centre row, 4th from right, to the left of the sister.
See names.
See full size
and wider shot.
See other shot
and other shot.
Nora. Close-up of above.
Resident staff of the Royal City of Dublin Hospital, Baggot St, Dublin, 1930.
Nora is listed as "House Physician".
See names.
See full size
and wider shot.
See other shot
and other shot.
Nora. Close-up of above.
Nora (centre, back) working as a house-surgeon somewhere,
with a nun and nurses.
See her in more medical groups.
Nora, before her marriage in 1933.
See larger
and full size.
See other scan.
Nora Stack, c.1950.
See larger
and full size.
Nora Stack (left) with Alice Cooney, wife of
Sean Mac Eoin (Minister for Defence).
The Mac Eoins were family friends.
Social and Personal magazine, 1954.
Nora in drawing room, Walkinstown House.
See larger
and full size.
See similar shot.
Map from here
shows correct labelling.
This would indicate that the old church is the attached hall on the left side of the new church.
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