Humphrys genealogy

Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.


My ancestors - Stack - Contents


Dr. Nora Stack




Nora Stack.




Dr. Nora Stack,
born 29th June 1903.
Nora was a female doctor in Ireland, at a time when there were few female doctors. (The first female doctor in Ireland was in 1890.)

Nora studied medicine in TCD. She had to work her way through university - family had no money.
BA TCD 1926.
While she was at TCD, in 1927, the Catholic Hierarchy issued an order that no Catholic should attend TCD "under pain of grave sin". (This was reinforced 1944: "Any Catholic who disobeys this law is guilty of mortal sin". Order finally scrapped 1970.)
At Trinity she became friends with Dr. Marie Lea-Wilson.
Nora received MB (Hons) TCD, 1st class honours, Nov 1928. She was living 35 Heytesbury St at time.

Career as a doctor, 1929 to 1933:
Nora was working at Coombe Hospital, Dublin, as at June 1929.
She was Resident Medical Officer at the Royal City of Dublin Hospital, Dublin, July 1929 - Aug 1930, including 6 months as House Physician, 7 months as House Surgeon.
One day, staff all gone to a rugby international. Nora in charge. No anaesthetist left. Nick O'Dwyer taken in from the South County Dublin Hunt (Nora's future husband Frank hunted with O'Dwyer, but he and Nora didn't meet at this stage). Nora had to give O'Dwyer 36 stitches without anaesthetic. At one stage he looked up weakly: "Is this girl qualified?"

Nora got D.Ph. TCD, June 1931.
In 1932 when she met Frank she was working at Royal Hospital for Consumption for Ireland, Newtown Mountkennedy sanatorium, Co.Wicklow.
She went to England. Worked as Assistant School Medical Officer in South Shields, Newcastle, NE England, Nov 1932.
At marriage her address is given as Moore Ave, Harton, South Shields (see map).
At marriage Frank is at a temporary address at St. Gregory's Catholic presbytery, Harton, South Shields (see following).

Nora mar 31 July 1933 [her age 30, him age 46] to Frank Flanagan [born 11 Dec 1886] and had issue.
They mar at St. Gregory's Catholic church, Harton, South Shields.
See mar cert. And copy. NOT 29 June.





Nora Stack.



Staff of the Coombe Hospital, Dublin, June 1929.
Nora is centre row, 4th from right, to the left of the sister. See names.
See full size and wider shot.
See other shot and other shot.



Nora. Close-up of above.



Resident staff of the Royal City of Dublin Hospital, Baggot St, Dublin, 1930.
Nora is listed as "House Physician". See names.
See full size and wider shot.
See other shot and other shot.



Nora. Close-up of above.



Nora (centre, back) working as a house-surgeon somewhere, with a nun and nurses.



Nora, before her marriage in 1933.
See larger and full size.



Nora Stack, c.1950.
See larger and full size.



(Left) Nora Stack.
(Right) Alice Cooney, wife of General Sean Mac Eoin (family friend, Free Stater).
Social and Personal magazine, 1954.




St. Gregory's Catholic church, Harton, South Shields

St. Gregory's Catholic church, Harton, South Shields, was founded 1929.
Nora Stack and Frank Flanagan married there in 1933.
A new church has since been built. The old church is now the Church Hall.


Location of St. Gregory's Catholic church, Harton, South Shields.
From Google 45 ° view.
The labelling is a bit wrong, though. The church is the black roofed building on the right.
See street view of entrance.



Map from here shows correct labelling.
This would indicate that the old church is the attached hall on the left side of the new church.



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