Death of well-known Kilkenny businesswoman with Tipperary connections

The death has occurred of Mary Curran (née Somers), Pococke Lower, Johnswell Road, Kilkenny City, on February 15, 2022, peacefully at the age of 96, in the wonderful care of the staff at Drakelands House Nursing Home, Kilkenny. Mary was predeceased by her husband James Curran (late of Carlow) and her former husband Thomas Purcell (late of Ballingarry) and is sadly missed by her loving sister Rita (Lang), nephew Padraic, cousins, extended family, neighbours and friends.

Mary Somers, as she was fondly known then, originally from Coon, county Kilkenny, spent many years with her aunt, Mrs. Margaret Butler, after the death of her husband John, helping her to run a very successful licensed premises and grocery business on Main Street, Ballingarry.

When Mrs. Butler died Mary married local man Tommy Purcell, sold the pub and moved down the street to where her husband had a thriving butchers and grocery business.

Following his death in 1980, she sold up and moved to the Carlow / Kilkenny area where she married James Curran, who passed away 20 years ago. Requiem Mass for Mary was celebrated on Thursday (17th Feb) at 10.30am in St. John's Church, Kilkenny, followed by burial afterwards in St. Kieran's Cemetery.