The St. Patrick’s Classical School Community past and present wish to express their heartfelt sorrow at the passing of our former colleague, teacher and friend Ms. Ethna Cantwell
Ethna was originally a native of Dublin but took up a teaching job in St. Patrick’s Classical School in 1972 and made Navan her home.
Ethna was a passionate and dedicated teacher of Geography and History and inspired in her students a love of her subjects. For many years Ethna invested in the welfare of her students in her role as class tutor and later Year Head.
Ethna met her beloved John Cantwell, a fellow teacher in St. Pats. They married in 1975 and were blessed with their children Barry, Ruth and Johnny.
Johnny Cantwell died at the untimely age of 54 in 2004. Ethna retired from teaching in 2005.
After her retirement, Ethna pursued her passion for local history and geography. Ethna was a founding member of the Navan Historical society in 2007 and played a pivotal role in the research and publication of the Navan and District Historical Societies volumes.
One of her many great legacies will be her work on and publication of ‘Navan’s Great War Dead, They Shall Not Grow Old’ and the monument remembering all Navan’s World War I dead at the Town Hall.”
Ethna was always generous in her nature and played a central role in organising a fundraiser for the ‘Mother of Peace Orphanage’ in Johannesburg in 2010.
The ‘Strictly Come Dancing ‘event brought together local dancing talent and raised over €20,000.
The St. Patrick’s Classical School Community wish to express their heartfelt condolences to Barry, Ruth and Johnny; granddaughters, Grace, Nóra and Rose; her partner, Mack; daughter-in-law, Mairéad; sisters, Sinéad and Fionnuala; brothers, Kevin and Colm;
extended family, neighbours and friends.
