Longford welcomes Ballymahon sisters home from America for visit

Sr Stephanie Duggan, 96, from Long Island, New York came home to Ballymahon along with her sister Lucy to visit family and friends.

Sr Stephanie is Darren Mulledy's father’s godmother.

She was born in a town’s land called Gurteen a few miles from Ballymahon in 1929. She grew up like most children of that generation, helping her father and mother on the farm and doing her chores around the house. For education, Sr Stephanie attended Gurteen school and worked locally.

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In 1950 and at the age of 21, she boarded the ship the Mauretania for New York and worked in Brooklyn as a nurses' aid.
In 1952, she entered convent of The Sisters of St. Joesphine Brentwood, Long Island, New York. Afterwards, Sr Stephanie trained as nurse and worked in St John’s Hospital Elmhurst, New York for 29 years. She returned to her convent in 1999 to care for the elderly sisters, and lives there currently.

Down through the years Sr. Stephanie (fondly known as Cissie) would travel home every couple of years to visit family and friends.

Darren Mulledy, who passed on the story, said the following: “She’s now in her 96th year, enjoying good health, keeping tabs on family over the pond using FaceTime and Messenger.”

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Enjoying her visit, Sr Stephanie has been staying with her sister-in-law in Gurteen, called Cissie Duggan. With plenty of friends and family to meet, her flight back to America is due on Saturday with her sister, Lucy.

Both sisters were received warmly by the Ballymahon community. With strong ties to Longford, the sisters' visit has shown the link between Ireland and America.