'And when I found myself alone 'in the world ' it was like having a delayed adolescence'

'And when I found myself alone 'in the world ' it was like having a delayed adolescence'

Mary reflects upon the course of her life and she notes that in many ways her life has been untypical.

Mary Dynan

Trinity College Dublin

2010

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Mary Dynan

Reflections

Life Story

Belfast

2010's

I think the flow of my life is highly untypical.Out of all the girls who attended my boarding school since its foundations in 1923, I was one of only about 20 who decided to join the religious life in the St. Louis Congregation. While the majority of young women of 17 are looking forward to marriage and children, I saw my future as serving God in a particular and different way. My late teenage years were therefore spent differently, in strange clothes, in doing what someone else decided, without any direct contact with the outside world. My experience of university life in UCD was coloured and circumscribed by the odd perspective of the nuns' room and the front row of every class. In England, I enjoyed life in the school where I taught, but it was a different life from my 20 year old contemporaries. I had my 21st birthday in Holy Week in Carrickmacross and the Rev. Mother kindly broke the rules by allowing me and the community to have a piece of the huge cake that my parents had sent for the occasion.At the time when I decided to change direction, that was also an unusual step for someone in my situation. And when I found myself alone 'in the world' it was like having a delayed adolescence.After I met and married Muredach, our life was different too. When we went to Australia for an adventure, it was just that. Not so many people went to Australia at that time. The era of the jumbo jet was just beginning. Our life in that country was fruitful and enjoyable and we had many great experiences over 27 years. The fact that I survived a very serious car crash and am here to tell the tale is also a little bit different.That we came back to live in Ireland and also somewhat out of the ordinary. 'Why on earth did you come back?' is what people say. Maybe it was to become part of this group!

Irish Research Council for Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)