Late Lily Gilchrist pioneered Montessori Education and supported Longford female entrepreneurs

Lily Gilchrist passed away peacefully on August 29, 2023 in the exceptional care of Laurel Lodge nursing home staff. Her first year’s anniversary mass will be held in St Mel’s Cathedral, Longford this coming Saturday, August 31.

Lily came to Longford in 1967 from Geevagh, Co Sligo where she and her late husband John started their family in Ferefad, Longford.

John, a highly respected teacher at Ballinamuck Vocational School and Moyne Community School, passed to his eternal reward on Thursday, January 21, 2021.

John taught woodwork, construction and technical drawing and many of the skilled tradesmen in the north Longford, Cavan and Leitrim areas began acquiring their skills and craft in his classroom.

Also read: Many Longford tradesmen acquired their skills from respected Moyne teacher John Gilchrist

Lily settled into life in Longford very well and in 1972 she graduated as a Montessori teacher and went on to open the first Montessori school in County Longford.

She ran the school from her own home for twenty years and hundreds of Longford children embarked on their educational journey in the school, where she embodied the ethos of Maria Montessori in ensuring every child was treated as an individual and had the freedom to move around and correct their own mistakes.

The area of language development was of major importance to Lily and she provided an opportunity for children, as young as three, to learn French.

It was not unusual for visitors to hear children speaking French with a Longford accent around the house in those days.

She was a regular contributor to the Longford Leader during the 1970s when she published a weekly column offering helpful hints for parents of small children on topics such as exercise, temper tantrums and the importance of developing the whole child.

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With a heavy heart she closed the Montessori school in 1992 and she immediately immersed herself in her golf and in her other interests.

She was Lady Captain of Longford Golf Club in 1993 and she was an active member of Longford Meals on Wheels during this time.

Not one to sit idle, she then became involved in Longford’s Women’s Link, where the ethos was “women supporting women”.

Having established and ran her successful business over 20 years allowed her to share her knowledge and experience with others and this gave her enormous fulfilment.

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She was very proud of her role in the Women’s Link and the many successful businesses that were established and still thrive to this day in Longford.

She is predeceased by her parents Martin and Nora, sisters Mai Arney, Helen Horan and Tessie Emmett and by her beloved husband John.

Lily is sadly missed and remembered with love by her family, daughters Niamh Hallissy (Clane, Co Kildare), Lorna Gilchrist (Carlow) and Sinead Gibson (Hillsborough, Co Down), son John (Galway), daughter-in-law Geraldine, sons-in-law Michael, Seamus and Colin, sisters Nuala McKenna (Boyle) and, brothers Pat (Boyle) and Joe (UK), grandchildren Caoilfhionn, Rossa, Lilianne and Noah, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

Also read: Longford community mourns passing of a lady who possessed a magnificent lust for life