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Sloinne réamhphósta i nGaeil
Sibéal Nic Ghabhann

Ainm Pósta i nGaeilg
Sibéa del Móinbhíol

Elizabeth is the daughter of of Capt. Michael & Alice (née Britt) McGowan of Ringsend, Co. Dublin, Ireland. She was the eldest of the 14 McGowan children to live to adulthood.

In 1905 she married John Joseph Mansfield, a baker from Skerries, at her family's Ringsend parish church, St. Mary's Haddington Road.
John & Elizabeth Mansfield settled on Tritionville Road in Sandymount, raising their 10 children there while spending the summer months at the home on Chapel Lane in Skerries, the house where John was born.
She revered the Virgin Mother and attended the 6 AM mass every day.

In the years after her mother's sudden death in 1908, Elizabeth took in & cared for a number of her many still young McGowan siblings for lengths of time, this despite having a large and growing family of her own.

Elizabeth strongly supported her husband John during his many years as a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army and cared for their, then 8, children during his long and harsh imprisionment at Ballkinlar POW camp. She herself was actively involved in the political end of the fight for a free & united Ireland, first with her involvement with Sinn Féin, then Fianna Fáil from the time of it's founding in the 1920's.

Throughout Éamon de Valera's years as Uachtarán na hÉireann, Mrs. Mansfield was a frequent guest at Áras an Uachtaráin, The President's House. The day of her passing, both Uachtarán na hÉireann Patrick Hillery & Taoiseach na hÉireann Charles Haughey sent telegrams of condolence to the family home.

She outlived her husband, 3 of her children, 1 grandchild and all 13 of her McGowan siblings.

✞ Mrs. Elizabeth Mansfield is buried with her husband John at Holmpatrick Graveyard in Skerries. With her also are 3 of her children, Alice, Seán & Cathal and her parents in-law, Capt. Thomas & Mary Anne Mansfield. Buried next to her are the graves of three of her sons, Foncie, Rory & Liam, daughter in-law Maureen and one of her 15 grandchildren, Rory.
Over her grave is the Mansfield Family Memorial Stone erected in 1988 by her son Liam. Yet to be added on this stone are the names of Elizabeth's sons Morgan O.P. (buried in New York, USA) & James de V. (buried in Co. Wicklow).

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                    Ag Críost an Síol
 
                    Ag Críost an síol,
                    ag Críost an fómhar,
                    in iothlainn Dé
                    go dtugtar sinn.
 
                    Ag Críost an mhuir,
                    ag Críost an t-iasc,
                    i líonta Dé
                    go gcastar sinn.
 
                    Ó fhás go haois,
                    is ó aois go bás,
                    do dhá láimh, a Críost,
                    anall tharainn.
 
                    Ó bhás go críoch,
                    ní críoch ach athfhás,
                    i bParthas na nGrást
                    go rabhaimid.
 
                    Ceol/Téacs - Seán Ó Riada
 
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