To mark her anniversary on April 5, Sheila O’Kelly fondly remembers the operatic soprano and voice teacher who was described as a ‘national treasure’.

 

Veronica Dunne, also known as ‘Ronnie’, was born in Dublin on the 20th August 1927, the youngest of three children to William and Josephine Dunne. The family resided in Clontarf, Dublin.

William Dunne was a master builder and owned thoroughbred racehorses. Veronica was educated at Holy Faith Convent, Clontarf and at Mount Anville Sacred Heart Secondary School in Goatstown, Dublin. Her childhood interests were singing and horse riding and she regularly competed in gymkhanas at the Royal Dublin Society.

At twelve years of age, she commenced singing lessons at the Municipal School of Music in Dublin under Hubert Rooney, before travelling to Rome to further her vocal studies with Countessa Soldini Calcagni.

Veronica and her family were introduced to Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty who was responsible for saving over six thousand Allied soldiers and Jews during World War ll (1939-1945).

Monsignor O’Flaherty offered to protect Veronica during her stay in post-war Rome. He assisted in procuring accommodation for her there and protected the young Veronica. Because of restrictions of moving money out of the Irish State at the time, William Dunne’s monthly cheques to Rome for Veronica’s tuition lessons and upkeep would have been a breach of regulations.

Veronica’s parents approached Sarsfield Hogan, Secretary in the Department of Finance. William Dunne was permitted to send the cheques to Rome on one condition – that Veronica would come back to Ireland in the future to teach singing to aspiring young singers.

Continue reading in this week’s Ireland’s Own