Q-Eye - 15 October 2010
From the Gillespie connection to family matters
The Gillespie connection
In the Friend’s outreach edition there is an interesting link between the first and third pictures on page 12, points out reader Philip Jacob.
‘The first image is a group of evocative bronze figures commemorating the plight of starving people in the Irish Famine of 1845-51. The sculptor is Rowan Gillespie, a member of Monkstown Meeting in Dublin.
‘The third is a picture of The Retreat, established in 1796 to provide sympathetic care to those suffering from acute mental distress. Rowan Gillespie’s father, Jack, was superintendent of The Retreat for a number of years.
‘Jack’s caring nature had been evident when, as a young man, he served with the Friends Ambulance Unit in Finland early in the Second World War. However, when Finland became an ally of Germany Jack boarded a ship to come home. By that time Norway had been over-run by the German army. Jack’s ship was stopped by a German cruiser and searched. Jack was able to demonstrate his Irish citizenship, managed to catch a boat in Norway bound for the friendly territory of The Orkneys, and made his way home from there.’
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