Sunday, May 15th, 2022

Today, we are going to feature the craft work of the late Jo Doyle née Mernagh of Weatherstown, Glenmore. Danny Dowling once described Jo as the woman who could turn her hand to anything. Jo was equally adept at weilding an angle grinder as a crochet hook.

Jo Doyle née Mernagh was born and raised in a thatched cottage in Weatherstown, Glenmore. Jo attended the Robinstown National School for girls and after completing it she began a succession of jobs that ultimately took her to England. While living and working in England she met her future husband, Larry Doyle, a native of Wexford. Soon after the couple married in 1957 they moved to Glenmore and updated the cottage where Jo was born and reared. Until she retired Jo worked for local farmers, fished for eels with Larry in the Barrow, reupholstered furniture, fitted wallpaper, knitted sweaters, and worked as a seamstress. She sewed, repaired and altered clothing and made Irish dancing costumes etc.

When Jo retired she turned to arts and crafts that she now had the time to pursue. Jo never drove, so Larry with his usual good humour drove her to various agricultural shows in Wexford, the Kilkenny show and the Piltown Show. They both enjoyed meeting old friends at the shows, and while awaiting the judges’ verdict for her craft work Jo would join Larry to view the animals on display and cheer for Glenmore horses in the show rings. A couple of typical show results for Jo were found in the New Ross Standard. For example, the New Ross Standard (Wed. 18 Aug 2002, p. 10) reported on the winners of the various classes or competitions held at the 55^th Adamstown Show in 2002. Jo took six 1^st places in Craft and Needlework including: Machine Sewn Garment; Embroidered Table Cloth; Patchwork; Soft Toy; and Cushion. Jo also won two 3^rd places in Hand Knitted Garment and a handmade household article. Jo took a 1^st in baking for a homemade novelty cake and a 2^nd in the flower section for a Miniature Arrangement. Two years later, Jo at the 57^th Adamstown Show took seven 1^st place ribbons, one 2^nd place and one 3rd. The firsts included: Best Machine Sewn Garment; Best Hand Knitted Garment; Best Patchwork; Best Soft Toy; Best Handmade ornament, Best Miniature Flower Arrangement and Best Small Flower Arrangement. Her second place was for the Best Household Article and her third was for Best Embroidered Tablecloth. (New Ross Standard, Wed. 7 July 2004, p. 24).

Jo also began to paint in oils and watercolour. She delved into mosaics, rug making, stencilling, counted cross stitch, quilting, and revived long forgotten crafts such as what she called silver paper pictures which were popular when she was a girl. Her favourite craft work were soft toys and dolls. She named each doll and animal that she made. Jo was awarded over 140 ribbons or certificates for her entries at the shows. However, her proudest award was a Brannra awarded in 1998 for her proficiency in soft toys.

Thanks to Jo’s daughter Pat we have several photographs below of a few examples of Jo’s extraordinary work to share today.

Please send any additions or corrections to glenmore.history@gmail.com.

The featured photo above is a view from Jo’s front gate looking over the fields.

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh