Irene Mary Taylor Biography

What made Irene Mary Taylor Special?

A devout Christian, Irene Mary Taylor dedicated much of her life – especially her later life – to practicing the Catholic faith and ensuring her offspring and their offspring did the same. Five years after her death, Cometan first had the realization that his grandmother should be recognized in the Catholic Church for her extraordinary devotion and as part of her Cause for Beatification, Cometan presented his grandmother as Irene Mary, a lay Catholic religious figure, catechist, and devotee.

As a consequence of the launch of her Cause for Beatification, what would come to be known as Irenianism, then emerged through Cometan's writings on and reflections of his grandmother's life and teachings. Cometan sees in his grandmother's figures a great opportunity to revive Catholic faith and belief throughout England and the world beyond.

Early Life of Irene Mary Taylor

Irene Mary's life began as Irene Mary Hardacre at 7 Caroline Street in the Borough of Ribbleton in Preston, Lancashire, England on 7th March 1932. She was the first-born daughter of master painter and decorator Richard Hardacre and cleaner Edith McKerney. This house at Caroline Street likely belonged to Edith's family, the McKerney's, a family descended from Irish who had traveled across to England during the mid 19th century. Edith herself was born in Preston so this was likely to be her parents' home or one bought by Edith and Richard so that they could be close to Edith's family as they raised their newborn child Irene Mary.

Watch a video of Irene Mary Taylor's grandson Cometan talking about religion, astronomy, and philosophy.

In 1943, when Irene Mary was eleven years old, Edith gave birth to their second daughter named Margaret Mary Hardacre. Irene Mary lived in Ribbleton until 1944 when, while World War Two was still ongoing, the now family of four moved to Richard Hardacre's home village of Higher Walton just outside Preston.

With Edith's mother Margaret Jane Hope having died in 1942 and her father dying in November 1943, just two months following the birth of their second daughter, it is thought that their move to Higher Walton may have been triggered by the death of Edith's parents. The family moved into the house of 9 Kittlingborne Brow and were now close in proximity to Richard's relatives.

Unbeknownst to Irene Mary, she would come to share a grandson with a young girl who lived just up the road from her in Higher Walton, Hilda Warbrick; the two knew each other while living in the village but they did not know then that they would share their grandson Cometan some sixty years later.

Death of Irene May Taylor's Parents

The next chapter in Irene Mary's life began when she met Derrick Taylor, a young man two years her senior born in Coppull to Frederick Taylor and Ellen "Nellie" Taylor (née Stringfellow). Derrick was a miner for part of his working life but was also a gardener.

It is likely that the couple met when Irene Mary was in her late teenage years and they are known to have married on 27th March 1954 in St Mary's RC Church, Brownedge Lane, Bamber Bridge, a church with numerous connections to the Hardacre family from whom Irene Mary was descended. The young couple made a donation to this church by paying for one of the pipes in the church's organ.

However, before their wedding occurred a terrible car accident took place in the January of 1954 on Birkacre Road in Coppull. It involved both sets of parents of Irene Mary Hardacre and Derrick Taylor. Tragically, Derrick's father, Frederick, died in the crash on 17th January 1954 while Irene Mary's parents, Edith and Richard, as well as Derrick's mother Ellen, survived with some injuries and scars.

Marriage & Children of Irene May Taylor

Following their marriage in April 1954, it is known that the young couple bought or rented a house called Fairhaven in Coppull where they lived at least until the early 1960s (before Derrick built 222 Longmeanygate). Irene Mary became pregnant in April 1954 and gave birth to their first son Derrick Stephen Taylor on 26th December 1954.

However, tragedy struck once again when Derrick Stephen died after just ten hours of life on 27th December 1954. No doubt this event held an impact on Irene Mary and her husband Derrick. Further, he was interred at Our Lady & St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in Walton-le-Dale.

Irene and her husband Derrick went onto welcome their other eleven children including Marie Thérèse Taylor, Bernadette Taylor, Anne-Marie Taylor, Veronica Taylor, Mary Monica Taylor, Francis Taylor, Derrick Vincent Taylor, Marie Louise Taylor, Catherine Zélie Taylor, Joseph Richard Taylor, and Seán Frederick Taylor.

Death of Irene May Taylor

Irene Mary Taylor passed away during the early afternoon of the 16th October 2015 at her home 222 Longmeanygate, Leyland at her own behest; Irene Mary's wish to die at home with her family around her rather than in a hospital, and this final wish was granted.

Two weeks following her passing, a funeral service was held for Irene Mary at St Catherine Labouré Catholic Church in Farington in the Traditional Latin Rite, after which Irene Mary was interred at Our Lady & St Patrick's Church in Walton-le-Dale, Lancashire alongside her husband Derrick Taylor who had passed away four years earlier on 26th November 2011.

Quick Facts of Irene May Taylor

• Irene May Talor was best known as Marian devotee, inspiration for Irenianism, & Catholic Traditionalist.
• Irene was blessed with hazel eyes.
• Irene's only sibling, Margaret Mary passed away in 2010.
• Irene belonged to the Caucasian race.
• Irene had a great influence on her grandson Cometan.

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