Dublin Characters: Mary Dunne by Marian Burke – 2020

I remember this beautiful, elegant middle aged lady.  She had blonde hair which was always immaculately up in a bun, and her clothes were always very elegant too.

She was ALWAYS on O’Connell Street every time I went into town.  She used the same spot all the time, just up at the Spire, although the Spire was not there in the earlier years.

She always looked happy, always smiling and serene.  She paced up and down the same spot all day long, in her high heels, dancing and singing and talking religiously, not caring if anyone stopped to listen to her or not!

I got used to seeing Mary every time I crossed the road from North Earl Street to get to the other side of O’Connell Street.  She was a character and always put a smile on my face with her cheeriness.  It made my day sometimes just seeing her, especially if I was rushing around getting stressed.  She had the kind of charisma that would make me feel that whatever my day was like, her joy and cheeriness was always going to be there and that would encourage me to stop my rushing and take a minute or two to stall awhile.

Then suddenly one day she was gone!  She was 87 years old.  So sad for all of us who took it for granted that she would be at her same spot for eternity.  She is sorely missed, a great character who’s only mission in life was to spread joy to everyone.

Excerpt from TheJournal.ie:

A member of the parish told TheJournal.ie that she had lost her sight in recent years and that her death was rather sudden, “but that is how Mary would have wanted it,” she said.  “She was one of Dublin’s great personalities.  She was loved by everyone.  A landmark has gone with her passing,” she said.

Mary is buried in Deansgrange Cemetery.