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Ever fallen in love with Ardmore, Waterford?
Then you know that feeling of coming home.
Feeling safe. Feeling complete.
Knowing that you’re where you should be.
Well, that’s what Maureen Moore Tarbox and Ellen Moore Shanahan have shared with us.
Here’s their story:
“Ardmore was the birthplace of our grandmother, Ellen Power. Unfortunately, she died when we were young so the stories of her early Ardmore life did not pass down to us.
Maureen’s first visit to Ardmore came in her twenties. She stayed with her father’s close friend, Tom Keating, and his wife Ann, in Mr. Keating’s family cottage at the end of Main Street near St Declan’s Church. During this visit, Maureen first saw the place where her grandmother was born and lived until 18. When Mr. Keating pointed out the thatched Power cottage where Nana (Power) Moore was raised, Maureen’s heart made an immediate connection.
Many years later Maureen returned to Ardmore with her sister, Ellen. Mary Power took us to the Power cottage to walk around and see it up close. Both of us were taken by the beauty of the beach view and Ardmore. The spiritual and emotional ties we felt to the area were overwhelming.
Ellen asked Mary why Ellen Power left her home to travel alone to Yonkers, NY. Mary’s simple answer, “She had to … She was the oldest and had to go”.
That answer, plus traveling the departure route that Ellen Power took by foot or farmer’s cart, from the cottage to Ferry Point to catch the ferry to Youghal, the train to Cobh and the boat to America, had us reliving some of the heartbreak Ellen must have felt as she departed from Ardmore – especially since she probably knew she would never return. A very emotional experience for both of Ellen’s granddaughters.
Ellen and I came ” home” for her. We reclaimed what she had to give up.
Is it any wonder why we feel the pull of Ardmore?”
Maureen Moore Tarbox
Ellen Moore Shanahan
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Below are four paintings of Ardmore that Maureen Tarbox has completed.
The first is an 11×14 giclee of an original oil that Ellen has.
The next is a 9×12 oil painting from St Declan’s Hermitage followed by two 11×14 watercolors – one of St Declan’s Hermitage from higher up on Ardmore Head and the other of the 12-century church and round tower from the road leading up to the tower. The sketches for the paintings were completed during several visits to Ardmore.
Please note that these paintings cannot be copied without permission but we have been given kind permission to use them on the Heritage site.
How do I share my memories of Ardmore?