Ian Dodson Snr : The Dodson Family Tree

It all started in the kitchen of my mother’s house in Shannon on a Sunday afternoon in the Spring of 1998. I was visiting with my wife Theresa, son Ian and some of my brothers and sisters were there. My mother was recounting stories of the war years, the nightly London blitz, meeting my father, falling in love and the deep sorrow when he was killed in Sicily. Tales of the blackout, bomb shelters, ration books, the struggle to survive, the funny moments and the sad moments.

They were all there – the Dodsons, the Robinsons, the Smiths and the Jones, the family intrigues, the births and the marriages, and the dates recalled with the precision of Big Ben striking the hour! Suddenly someone said “All of this will be lost if we don’t write it down”. I got a sheet of my mother’s notepaper and I recorded the first few names and dates. The Dodson Family Tree was born!

For several years it was left aside, a page added here, a name added there. However trips to Yaxley England, Canada and Southern Italy, where I knelt beside my father’s grave for the first time, have started me on an exhilarating journey into the past. What started as a collection of names and dates has come alive, for these are real people, my people, who experienced the same emotions, dreams, joys and sorrows as you and me. I hope that my children’s children will make this voyage of discovery with me. To contact me, please e-mail iansnr at iandodson dot com.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Remembering my mother - IRENE 1923 - 2007


Our mother, Irene Lehane, died on Sunday 01st July 2007 at the age of 84 years at her home in 67 Finian Park, Shannon, Co Clare, Ireland. The family agreed that the many photos in existance, some over one hundred years old, would be used to tell the story of her life. And what a remarkable life it was.
Irene grew up in London in the 20's and 30's, an only child. At the age of 15 she was working, she met her future husband Arthur Dodson and married at 19yrs, had one child, Ian and was widowed at 21yrs. She lived through the trauma of the Second World War, the rationing, the constant bombing of London. After the war, working in London Airport, she made contact with Terry Lehane in Ballygireen Radio Stn Shannon. Irene converted to the Roman Catholic religion, despite trenchant opposition from her family, married Terry and moved to Ireland. She had nine more children and fostered another. Tragedy struck again when Irene was widowed again at the age of 49yrs.Despite this Irene had a tremendous faith in God which she tried to instill in all of us. Against all the odds she reared the family single handed finding time to do voluntary work with the Shannon Society of Care. She encouraged us in everything we did. Our Mother was a truly remarkable woman and this album of photographs features the significant events in her life together with the many happy times with her family. This is our tribute to our mother.

posted by Ian Dodson Snr. | 4:45 PM