IRENE Madge McCarthy was born August 8, 1916 at the old hospital in Randall Street Wauchope that was run by a nursing sister who was also a midwife.
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She went to live with her mother's family at Pembrooke, her mother being Mabel, daughter of Rosehanna and Patrick McCarthy.
At the age of 16 she began to teach herself to sew, armed with a pair of dirty old black scissors and half a tape measure she started dressmaking for the children in the local area teaching herself as she went.
It was the time of the Great Depression and people would pay her what they could afford 1/3 (12 cents) up to 4/- (40 cents) for women's dresses.
On October 10, 1940 Irene married Anthony McCudden and they made their home at Bellangry. Three of the seven children were born at Bellangry; Noelene, Heather and Arnold. They left Bellangry and moved to Rawdon Island to share farm where three more children were born, Elaine (Teen), Judy and Cedric. Not long after this they bought their own property at Bellangry.
To help with the family income, Irene called on her dressmaking skills again and people would send fabric, measurements and patterns in the post and she would make up dresses and post them back.
In 1961 following a holiday in Port Macquarie the youngest child Neville was born. There were now 20 years between the oldest and youngest child.
In 1964 they moved back to Wauchope and finally settled in Wallace Street where Irene stayed, after Tony's death in 1997 until 2006 when she moved into Bundaleer Gardens.
Some of Irene's grandchildren affectionately called her 'the brick' and she was; the brick, the cornerstone on which this family was built.
Irene is survived by her 7 children, 25 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren and 3 great - great - grandchildren.