ONE of Enniskillen’s most respected and pioneering businesswomen was laid to rest this morning (Wednesday).
Lena Corrigan, née McCauley, of 43 Chanterhill Road, Enniskillen and formerly Belmore Street, died peacefully on Sunday, August 18, at the South West Acute Hospital surrounded by her family.
Lena, 92, pictured right, and her late husband Eugene ran the busy, family-run Corrigan’s shoe shop on Belmore Street for four decades.
“I was looking through some of my mother’s papers at the weekend and found that they opened the shop on St Patrick’s Day 1959,” Lena’s son Eugene explained. “They retired in the ’90s, so they were 40 years there.
“She was very outgoing and hard-working, which, of course, helped to establish the business and keep it going. We were reared above the shop.
“Back then there was great comradery on the street with the O’Doherty’s, who had the butchers, Mrs Hughes across the road in the pharmacy, McHugh’s drapery, and the O’Reilly’s from the Celtic Hotel – they were all families who lived above the shop premises.
“They were all close and friendly. She’s one of the last of that generation of families that first started their own businesses in the town.”
At the same time, Lena made an amazing contribution as President of the Fermanagh Feis for three decades.
“She was still President of the Fermanagh Feis until she died,” Eugene confirmed. “In her final years, she would not have had an active role, but she was president for 30-odd years.”
The Fermanagh Feis Chairperson, Maeve Jackson, recalled ‘a true Enniskillener’.
“Lena’s guidance and experience were invaluable to the Feis committee over the years,” Ms Jackson said.
“We have a small committee but she contributed greatly to it.”
“She was passionate about the Feis and helped out all the time – even into her later years. She was very knowledgeable.
“Lena was a real lady who always had time for people. She was a true Enniskillener and Fermanagh woman. There’s not many left like her.”
But Lena’s philanthropy did not end there. In the 1970s, she was involved with the Gaelic League. She was also a member of the Soroptimists in Enniskillen and was president of that organisation as well.
“She was very religious too and was very involved with the St Joseph’s Young Priests Society,” Eugene said.
“She may have been 92 years old, but she was still able to live independently on her own until she fell ill about 11 weeks ago.”
Lena was predeceased by her late husband Eugene, daughter Helen Lynam, brother Harry, and sister Rita Maguire.
Her Funeral Mass took place today (Wednesday) at 11am at St Michael’s Church in Enniskillen followed by interment in St Joseph’s Cemetery, Mullaghdun.
She also leaves her sons Maurice (Berna), daughter-in-law Rosaleen, Eugene (Geraldine), son-in-law Barry, and grandchildren Sinéad (Patsy Goodwin), Maeve (Eoin Devlin), Eoghan, Ellen and Thomas Corrigan, Fearghal, Deirbhile, Domhnall Lynam. Great grandchildren Caoimhe and Michael Goodwin.
She was the sister of Bob (Collette), Joe (Anne RIP), Margaret McBeigh (Jim), Angela Reid (Desmond) and the late Harry McCauley (Angela) and Rita Maguire (Eamon RIP).
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