THE death occurred recently of Bernie Wrafter, Roslevan, Ennis. A native of Ennis, she was a member of the well known Dunne family from Clare Road.
A daughter of the late Freddie Dunne, who was a CIE bus inspector and Mary Dunne, Bernie was educated at the Convent of Mercy, Ennis and Ennis Vocational School and at the young age of 17 years emigrated to America. She was employed in New York for the next 10 years, during which time she met her husband to be, Alo Wrafter, who was a native of Tullamore.
They got married after returning to Ireland and made their new home in Tullamore. However, some time later they decided to return to New York and after five years made a return journey home in 1967. On this occasion they lived in Dun Laoghaire where Bernie had a thriving guesthouse business overlooking the pier. To her credit she made her rooms available in the off-season holiday periods to people who had met difficulties in their lives.
A personal tragedy for her was the sudden death of her husband Alo in 1975. She continued to live in Dun Laoghaire for another two years but made the decision to return to her native Ennis in 1977 with her family andset up home in Roslevan. During her life time shecontributed to local groups and organisations and the Ennis Musical Society was among those who benefitted. She appeared in a number of their annual presentations. She was also a valued member of Ennis Cathedral Choir. Kind, thoughtful and courteous, Bernie was highly regarded among her neighbours and her many friends in her native town. She will also be remembered for her great style and choice of clothes and hats.
For the past 15 years she suffered from a muscular abnormality but continued to live a full and active life . Her sudden death took place in her home in Roslevan on February 3 at the age of 74 years.
Reposing was at Daly’s Mortuary Chapel for removal to Ennis Cathedral where Fr Jerry Carey was the chief celebrant of the funeral mass the following day. He joined in the tributes to Bernie and the interment took place at Drumcliffe cemetery, where Bernie was buried alongside her parents.
She is survived by her children Lorraine, Noel, Siobhan and Barr; brother, John Dunne; sisters ,Mary and Anne, sons-in-law, daughter-in-law and grandchildren, Rían, Caelan,Ailbhe and Alex.
T.M.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.