Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to questions constantly posed by the media,
new widows and general public:

When was the Association founded?
January 1967 by a group of Dublin widows headed by Eileen Proctor

How many members in the Association?
There are 30 branches countrywide amounting to many thousands increasing continually

How many times does the Association meet?
Dublin branch twice monthly, others mostly once a month,
National Executive – 4 times yearly.
National Council – open to all members, meet for work and socialising 3 weekends yearly, each time in one of the major towns. 

What is the format of meetings?
Most meetings include a guest speaker to inform members on matters of general interest ie. Ombudsman’s report, citizens rights and obligations, construction of the Dail, The probation Act and any new tax and social welfare regulations.

At what time span does a newly bereaved widow approach the Association?
Usually when relatives and friends drop away under the impression that she is now recovered, but that is the time when she most needs help to reconstruct her life.  The time varies according to the marital relationship and how much she depended on her husband during his lifetime.

How does a widow cope in a society essentially orientated to couples?
It can take some time for a widow to accept that she does not fit in with her former married friends. That she must build up new social contacts with others in a like situation, that she cannot be reliant on her family, that there is a new life style for her entirely different to her former one.