The untimely death of Bridget Doolan after a short illness took her pupils, colleagues and friends by surprise, and yet her swift passing was typical of her reluctance in life to give any trouble to others. The tributes paid to her last year in the Crawford Gallery, Cork on the occasion of the inauguration of the "Bridget Doolan Piano" foreshadowed the celebration of her life at her funeral Mass in her native Waterford.
Bridget's life was charted by a succession of choices which led her to UCC to study arts and music and to take a master's degree in French before deciding to concentrate on music. A pupil of Frau Tilly Fleischmann, she joined the staff of the Cork School of Music in 1956 and was appointed director in 1973, choosing to return to full-time piano teaching eight years later. In 1992 she took early retirement from Cork and became a valued member of the music faculty at Waterford RTC.
Bridget Doolan's public persona as a passionate campaigner for music and as a dynamic organiser and administrator was just one aspect of her personality. To her pupils and network of friends she brought total commitment: her vitality and enthusiasm stemmed from her joie de vivre and was translated into concern and encouragement for each individual when needed. Her brisk manner was always tempered by kindness and compassion, guided by an innate spirituality which was rooted in her strong faith.
In recent years she was an active member of the European Piano Teachers' Association; she enjoyed travelling to conferences and master-classes abroad and made new friends wherever she went. She served a five-year term as a member of the Arts Council, and was awarded a PhD (Honoris Causa) by the NCEA in 1993 in recognition of her achievements as a pioneering music educator and activist.
Bridget was very proud of her students, many of whom have gone on to distinguished careers as teachers and performers, and of the Cork School of Music. In her speech at the Crawford Gallery she moved the focus from herself in typical fashion to include all who had worked with her over the years. That was her secret - to facilitate others and to inspire them through her vision and integrity. Heartfelt sympathy is extended to her only sister, Phyllis, from all who loved her.
A line from An die Musik, sung so beautifully at her funeral, provides a fitting epitaph: Musik hast mich in eine bess're Welt entruckt (Music has taken me to a better world.)