Phyllis O'Hara & Barry Fitzgerald 1924
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Wedding of Phyllis & John
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Phyllis Wakely, a talented Irish actress
William George Wakely married Elinor Anne Thomson
born 20 Jun 1865 5 Aug 1891 born circa 1868
Dublin St Stephen’s Belfast
died 26 Mar 1942 died 14 Oct 1933
Temple Gardens, Rathmines Temple Gardens, Rathmines
William George Wakely born 20 Jun 1865 at 14 Ely Place son of John Wakely DL, JP of Ballyburly,
Kings County and his wife Mary Catherine George. He qualified as a solicitor in 1887 and was
appointed secretary of the Incorporated Law Society aged 23. He was living at 19 Lower Mount
Street and married Elinor Anne (Nellie) Thomson on 5 Aug 1891 at St Stephen’s Church Dublin.
Elinor was the daughter of Charles Thomson of 90 St Stephen’s Green. His brother was Judge
John Wakely who was the first Circuit Court judge on what later became the Midlands Circuit.
Nellie died 14 Oct 1933 at Temple Gardens and was buried at Mount Jerome. William was
secretary of the Incorporated Law Society for 54 years and died at Elmhurst, Temple Gardens,
Rathmines and died on 26 Mar 1942. He was buried with his wife.
1 Elinor Lucinda Wakely (twin) born 4 May 1892 died 6 May 1892 at 40 Waterloo Road.
2 Ion Fox George Wakely (twin) born 4 May 1892 at 40 Waterloo Road was educated at
Columba’s College and Trinity College and was a sergeant major in the OTC. He was
called to the Bar in 1914. The same year he received a commission and served as a
captain with the Royal Garrison Artillery during WWII. He suffered injuries to his back
and face when he repaired a communications cable under fire and was awarded the
Military Cross in 1917. He married Joan Hilda Violet Hudson on 30 Aug 1938 at St
Nicholas’ Church, Guildford. Joan was first secretary of the Basque Home in Guilford
and was on the executive of the Federation of the Surrey Women’s Institutes. Ion was
the resident magistrate in Jamaica. Joan moved to Jamaica with him and they lived at
Mount Ida, Malvern and had one son. Joan was involved in the Jamaica Women’s
League. Ion died on 29 Jul 1943 at Mandeville, Jamaica in a motor accident.
Administration of his personal estate was granted to Edgar Hugh Hudson secretary
and the reverend Henry Pownall Hudson, clerk in Holy orders. Effects £1583 10s. 5d.
3 Vera Wakely born 15 Jan 1895 at 40 Waterloo Road was an accomplished singer and
pianist. She married William Eaton Caldbeck on 2 Jun 1917 at Christ Church, Leeson
Park. William was a resident at Cowper Gardens and a lieutenant in the 1st Battalion,
Royal Dublin Fusiliers. He was the son of William Eaton Caldbeck and Sara Watkins of
Eaton Brae, Shankill. William died at Dorset on 6 Mar 1939.
She was living at Leeson Park and secondly married widower Alexander Preston-Jones
at Christ Church Leeson Park on 3 Oct 1945. Alexander was a company director from
Enniscorthy, Co Wexford and the son of Benjamin William Jones. Alexander died on
21 Oct 1955 at a Enniscorthy nursing home.
4 Phyllis Wakely born 4 May 1897 at 40 Waterloo Road was an accomplished singer and
musician, and as a child took part in numerous charitable musical events. In 1917 she
appeared at the Dublin Empire Theatre with Raymond Saville Conolly de Montmorency
Lecky Browne-Lecky of Ecclesville. She was a regular in the Gaiety Theatre cast, and from
1921 to 1923 she was involved with the Dublin University cast who put on shows at the
Gaiety. Phyllis was well known in social circles, extremely stylish and her clothes were
described in minute detail each time she attended a function.
In the summer of 1924 Phyllis purchased a first class ticket at Stillorgan railway station to
Dundrum. When the train was about 200 yards outside Stillorgan Station she opened the
carriage door and jumped out of the moving train. After jumping from the train, she
dusted herself down, walked back to the station, apologised to the stationmaster and gave
him her name and address. She was charged and appeared in court the following year.
Her solicitor explained that she was doing ‘a cinema stunt’ during the filming of a romantic
comedy called ‘Land of her fathers’ in which she was the heroine and co-stared with Barry
Fitzgerald and Micheál Macliammóir. This probably didn’t go down well with her family as
her father was a solicitor and her uncle was a judge. She was fined £1, and £1.1s costs, cited
as a bad example to small children, and she had to undertake never to so something like
this again. The film was directed by John Hurley, produced by Herbert B Winslow and based
on a story by Dorothea Donn-Byrne. The film was a ‘silent movie’ and opened to great
acclaim in Ireland in 1925 and in America in 1926. The last surviving reel of this film was
stolen in New York and has never been found. In 1926 she played Peggy in the very
successful production of ‘Butterfly on the Wheel’. She also appeared in charitable shows
at the Stillorgan Convalescent Home and Leopardstown Park Hospital.
On 12 Jul 1927 she married John William Johnson at Christ Church, Leeson Park and the
Archbishop of Dublin officiated. John was a captain in the 2nd Battalion Loyal Berkshire
Regiment and was born in Croydon son of Bruce Holowell Johnson. They were living at
Sandgate, Folkestone in 1935 and were involved in organising balls and dances for the
military. Phyllis put a memorial notice in the Irish Times newspaper for her sister Eileen in
1939. She was buried with her parents at Mount Jerome.
5 Eileen Wakely youngest daughter born 20 Dec 1900 at 45 Leeson Park was an accomplished
singer and pianist. Eileen of Elmhurst, Temple Gardens, Rathmines married Reginald Blyth
Rathbone on 3 Aug 1922 at Christ Church, Leeson Park. Reginald of Ivy Lodge, Aigburth in
Liverpool was a lieutenant in the Loyal Regiment and the only surviving son of George
Rathbone JP, a merchant. The Archbishop of Dublin officiated. Eileen died suddenly on
17 Mar 1930 at the Louise Margaret Hospital in Aldershot having had a minor operation a few
days earlier. She was buried at the Royal Military College in Sandhurst.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - August 2024
Return to Stillorgan Station House page
William George Wakely married Elinor Anne Thomson
born 20 Jun 1865 5 Aug 1891 born circa 1868
Dublin St Stephen’s Belfast
died 26 Mar 1942 died 14 Oct 1933
Temple Gardens, Rathmines Temple Gardens, Rathmines
William George Wakely born 20 Jun 1865 at 14 Ely Place son of John Wakely DL, JP of Ballyburly,
Kings County and his wife Mary Catherine George. He qualified as a solicitor in 1887 and was
appointed secretary of the Incorporated Law Society aged 23. He was living at 19 Lower Mount
Street and married Elinor Anne (Nellie) Thomson on 5 Aug 1891 at St Stephen’s Church Dublin.
Elinor was the daughter of Charles Thomson of 90 St Stephen’s Green. His brother was Judge
John Wakely who was the first Circuit Court judge on what later became the Midlands Circuit.
Nellie died 14 Oct 1933 at Temple Gardens and was buried at Mount Jerome. William was
secretary of the Incorporated Law Society for 54 years and died at Elmhurst, Temple Gardens,
Rathmines and died on 26 Mar 1942. He was buried with his wife.
1 Elinor Lucinda Wakely (twin) born 4 May 1892 died 6 May 1892 at 40 Waterloo Road.
2 Ion Fox George Wakely (twin) born 4 May 1892 at 40 Waterloo Road was educated at
Columba’s College and Trinity College and was a sergeant major in the OTC. He was
called to the Bar in 1914. The same year he received a commission and served as a
captain with the Royal Garrison Artillery during WWII. He suffered injuries to his back
and face when he repaired a communications cable under fire and was awarded the
Military Cross in 1917. He married Joan Hilda Violet Hudson on 30 Aug 1938 at St
Nicholas’ Church, Guildford. Joan was first secretary of the Basque Home in Guilford
and was on the executive of the Federation of the Surrey Women’s Institutes. Ion was
the resident magistrate in Jamaica. Joan moved to Jamaica with him and they lived at
Mount Ida, Malvern and had one son. Joan was involved in the Jamaica Women’s
League. Ion died on 29 Jul 1943 at Mandeville, Jamaica in a motor accident.
Administration of his personal estate was granted to Edgar Hugh Hudson secretary
and the reverend Henry Pownall Hudson, clerk in Holy orders. Effects £1583 10s. 5d.
3 Vera Wakely born 15 Jan 1895 at 40 Waterloo Road was an accomplished singer and
pianist. She married William Eaton Caldbeck on 2 Jun 1917 at Christ Church, Leeson
Park. William was a resident at Cowper Gardens and a lieutenant in the 1st Battalion,
Royal Dublin Fusiliers. He was the son of William Eaton Caldbeck and Sara Watkins of
Eaton Brae, Shankill. William died at Dorset on 6 Mar 1939.
She was living at Leeson Park and secondly married widower Alexander Preston-Jones
at Christ Church Leeson Park on 3 Oct 1945. Alexander was a company director from
Enniscorthy, Co Wexford and the son of Benjamin William Jones. Alexander died on
21 Oct 1955 at a Enniscorthy nursing home.
4 Phyllis Wakely born 4 May 1897 at 40 Waterloo Road was an accomplished singer and
musician, and as a child took part in numerous charitable musical events. In 1917 she
appeared at the Dublin Empire Theatre with Raymond Saville Conolly de Montmorency
Lecky Browne-Lecky of Ecclesville. She was a regular in the Gaiety Theatre cast, and from
1921 to 1923 she was involved with the Dublin University cast who put on shows at the
Gaiety. Phyllis was well known in social circles, extremely stylish and her clothes were
described in minute detail each time she attended a function.
In the summer of 1924 Phyllis purchased a first class ticket at Stillorgan railway station to
Dundrum. When the train was about 200 yards outside Stillorgan Station she opened the
carriage door and jumped out of the moving train. After jumping from the train, she
dusted herself down, walked back to the station, apologised to the stationmaster and gave
him her name and address. She was charged and appeared in court the following year.
Her solicitor explained that she was doing ‘a cinema stunt’ during the filming of a romantic
comedy called ‘Land of her fathers’ in which she was the heroine and co-stared with Barry
Fitzgerald and Micheál Macliammóir. This probably didn’t go down well with her family as
her father was a solicitor and her uncle was a judge. She was fined £1, and £1.1s costs, cited
as a bad example to small children, and she had to undertake never to so something like
this again. The film was directed by John Hurley, produced by Herbert B Winslow and based
on a story by Dorothea Donn-Byrne. The film was a ‘silent movie’ and opened to great
acclaim in Ireland in 1925 and in America in 1926. The last surviving reel of this film was
stolen in New York and has never been found. In 1926 she played Peggy in the very
successful production of ‘Butterfly on the Wheel’. She also appeared in charitable shows
at the Stillorgan Convalescent Home and Leopardstown Park Hospital.
On 12 Jul 1927 she married John William Johnson at Christ Church, Leeson Park and the
Archbishop of Dublin officiated. John was a captain in the 2nd Battalion Loyal Berkshire
Regiment and was born in Croydon son of Bruce Holowell Johnson. They were living at
Sandgate, Folkestone in 1935 and were involved in organising balls and dances for the
military. Phyllis put a memorial notice in the Irish Times newspaper for her sister Eileen in
1939. She was buried with her parents at Mount Jerome.
5 Eileen Wakely youngest daughter born 20 Dec 1900 at 45 Leeson Park was an accomplished
singer and pianist. Eileen of Elmhurst, Temple Gardens, Rathmines married Reginald Blyth
Rathbone on 3 Aug 1922 at Christ Church, Leeson Park. Reginald of Ivy Lodge, Aigburth in
Liverpool was a lieutenant in the Loyal Regiment and the only surviving son of George
Rathbone JP, a merchant. The Archbishop of Dublin officiated. Eileen died suddenly on
17 Mar 1930 at the Louise Margaret Hospital in Aldershot having had a minor operation a few
days earlier. She was buried at the Royal Military College in Sandhurst.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - August 2024
Return to Stillorgan Station House page