James & Josephine McNeill oustide the Viceregal Lodge (Their home from 1928 to 1932)
The McNeills of Woodley Park House
Josephine McNeill née Ahern
James Ahern married Ellen Mary O’Brien
born circa 1841 17 Feb 174 born circa 1855
Waterford Clougheen, Co Tipperary Co Cork
died 23 Sep 1922
Acres, Fermoy
James Ahern, born circa 1841 in Waterford, son of Patrick Ahern, a farmer. He was a shopkeeper
when he married Ellen O’Brien, an assistant shop keeper from County Cork and daughter of
Michael O’Brien, a farmer on 17 Feb 1874 at Clougheen, Co Tipperary. They had thirteen children of
whom five were alive in 1911. He was a publican and shop keeper of Patrick Street, Fermoy, Co Cork.
The family moved to The Acres, in Fermoy. James died 23 Sep 1922 and was buried at Mocollop.
1 Mary Ahern born 15 Mar 1875 at Patrick Street died 22 Dec 1877.
2 Patrick Ahern born 20 Nov 1876 at Patrick Street, a farmer in 1911.
3 Mary Ellen Ahern born 11 May 1878 at Patrick Street.
4 Michael Ahern born 3 Apr 1880 at Patrick Street.
5 John Ahern born 31 Mar 1885 at Patrick Street.
6 Michael Ahern born circa 1886, a merchant in 1911.
7 Josephine Ahern born 31 Mar 1895 at Patrick Street, Fermoy, Co Cork attended Loretto
Convent boarding school in Fermoy winning many awards through the years. She
graduated BA in French and German from UCD. She became a teacher and taught at
St Louis’s Kiltimagh and the Ursuline Convent in Thurles. She was a fluent Irish speaker
a member of Cumann na mBan, and served on the executive of the committee. A fine
musician, she acted as official pianist to the Irish Race Congress held in Paris in 1922
after the signing of the Anglo Irish Treaty.
She married James McNeill, son of Archibald McNeill at Star of the Sea Church in
Sandymount on 20 Nov 1923. On her wedding day she wore a raven blue silk corduroy
dress worn with a batwing jacket with Persian embroidery. Her going away outfit was a
gabardine coat with large skunk collar and cuffs. She was a co- director of Irish Beauty
Preparations, a company she set up with Kathleen Murphy in 1933. She had a love of
paintings and collected porcelain and it is believed she bought some items from the
auction at Priorsland in Carrickmines after the death of Count Taafe. She was much in
demand as a judge at charitable competitions and also gave talks to various women's groups.
She published a book of Indian children's stories that she translated into Irish, Finnsgéalta ó
India in 1932.
She was secretary of the council of the Friends of the National Collections and acted as
chair of the executive committee of the Irish Countrywomen’s Association from 1933 to
1950. Her husband James was appointed Governor General of the Irish Free State in 1928 and
it is believed greatly resented the manner in which her husband was treated by Fianna Fáil
when they suppressed the office of the governor general in 1932. de Valera sought McNeill's
dismissal. King George V persuaded de Valera to withdraw the request and persuaded McNeill
to bring forward his retirement to 1 Nov 1932. They retired to Woodley Park, Stillorgan in
1932. James died in London on 12 Dec 1938, his body was repatriated and he was buried at
Kilbarrack cemetery.
Josephine was appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Ireland to the
Netherlands in 1950. In 1953 she visited De Valera when he was in hospital in the Hague having
had a retina replaced, perhaps she had forgiven him for her husband’s loss of job or perhaps
she was being diplomatic. She was awarded the order of the Grand Cross of Orange-Nassau
by Queen Julianna as outgoing minister in 1955 when she was appointed minister to Sweden.
She held a joint appointment to Switzerland and Austria from 1956 to 1960 after which she
retired. Returning to Ireland she continued giving lectures. She died 19 Nov 1969, late of
Leeson Park, at St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin and was buried in Kilbarrack cemetery with her
husband.
8 Annie Marie Ahern born 11 Dec 1889 at Patrick Street living with her parents in Patrick Street in
1911 and was deceased by 1923.
© June Bow & Karen Poff – April 2019
Return to Woodley page
Josephine McNeill née Ahern
James Ahern married Ellen Mary O’Brien
born circa 1841 17 Feb 174 born circa 1855
Waterford Clougheen, Co Tipperary Co Cork
died 23 Sep 1922
Acres, Fermoy
James Ahern, born circa 1841 in Waterford, son of Patrick Ahern, a farmer. He was a shopkeeper
when he married Ellen O’Brien, an assistant shop keeper from County Cork and daughter of
Michael O’Brien, a farmer on 17 Feb 1874 at Clougheen, Co Tipperary. They had thirteen children of
whom five were alive in 1911. He was a publican and shop keeper of Patrick Street, Fermoy, Co Cork.
The family moved to The Acres, in Fermoy. James died 23 Sep 1922 and was buried at Mocollop.
1 Mary Ahern born 15 Mar 1875 at Patrick Street died 22 Dec 1877.
2 Patrick Ahern born 20 Nov 1876 at Patrick Street, a farmer in 1911.
3 Mary Ellen Ahern born 11 May 1878 at Patrick Street.
4 Michael Ahern born 3 Apr 1880 at Patrick Street.
5 John Ahern born 31 Mar 1885 at Patrick Street.
6 Michael Ahern born circa 1886, a merchant in 1911.
7 Josephine Ahern born 31 Mar 1895 at Patrick Street, Fermoy, Co Cork attended Loretto
Convent boarding school in Fermoy winning many awards through the years. She
graduated BA in French and German from UCD. She became a teacher and taught at
St Louis’s Kiltimagh and the Ursuline Convent in Thurles. She was a fluent Irish speaker
a member of Cumann na mBan, and served on the executive of the committee. A fine
musician, she acted as official pianist to the Irish Race Congress held in Paris in 1922
after the signing of the Anglo Irish Treaty.
She married James McNeill, son of Archibald McNeill at Star of the Sea Church in
Sandymount on 20 Nov 1923. On her wedding day she wore a raven blue silk corduroy
dress worn with a batwing jacket with Persian embroidery. Her going away outfit was a
gabardine coat with large skunk collar and cuffs. She was a co- director of Irish Beauty
Preparations, a company she set up with Kathleen Murphy in 1933. She had a love of
paintings and collected porcelain and it is believed she bought some items from the
auction at Priorsland in Carrickmines after the death of Count Taafe. She was much in
demand as a judge at charitable competitions and also gave talks to various women's groups.
She published a book of Indian children's stories that she translated into Irish, Finnsgéalta ó
India in 1932.
She was secretary of the council of the Friends of the National Collections and acted as
chair of the executive committee of the Irish Countrywomen’s Association from 1933 to
1950. Her husband James was appointed Governor General of the Irish Free State in 1928 and
it is believed greatly resented the manner in which her husband was treated by Fianna Fáil
when they suppressed the office of the governor general in 1932. de Valera sought McNeill's
dismissal. King George V persuaded de Valera to withdraw the request and persuaded McNeill
to bring forward his retirement to 1 Nov 1932. They retired to Woodley Park, Stillorgan in
1932. James died in London on 12 Dec 1938, his body was repatriated and he was buried at
Kilbarrack cemetery.
Josephine was appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Ireland to the
Netherlands in 1950. In 1953 she visited De Valera when he was in hospital in the Hague having
had a retina replaced, perhaps she had forgiven him for her husband’s loss of job or perhaps
she was being diplomatic. She was awarded the order of the Grand Cross of Orange-Nassau
by Queen Julianna as outgoing minister in 1955 when she was appointed minister to Sweden.
She held a joint appointment to Switzerland and Austria from 1956 to 1960 after which she
retired. Returning to Ireland she continued giving lectures. She died 19 Nov 1969, late of
Leeson Park, at St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin and was buried in Kilbarrack cemetery with her
husband.
8 Annie Marie Ahern born 11 Dec 1889 at Patrick Street living with her parents in Patrick Street in
1911 and was deceased by 1923.
© June Bow & Karen Poff – April 2019
Return to Woodley page