Tom praises the kindness of strangers after fall in Limerick city

IN LAST week’s Leader a man wrote in saying that he and his wife won't return to Limerick city after two racist incidents during the four hours  of their visit.

This week, Castleconnell man Tom Tuohy contacted the newspaper to praise the kindness of strangers in the city. Shortly before noon last Friday, aged 78, Tom got his ears syringed. After it he was strolling down the top of William Street when he felt disorientated and “swirling in his eyes”.

Tom, all six foot odd of him, crashed straight down on his hands and face.  After hitting the footpath passers by picked him up.

“They brought a chair out of one of the shops. They put me sitting on the chair. I lost a good bit of blood from cuts to my face and nose. I was in a sorry state.

“These ladies came out of a charity shop at the top of William Street – I don’t know the name of it. They took off my shirt because it was all blood. They washed me down and dried me. They gave me another shirt that they had inside. When I came around a bit I wanted to pay but no way would they take money. I apologise because there had to be blood on them,” said Tom.

While Tom was recovering a lady driving by in a Nissan Micra saw the commotion and pulled up.

“She got out of the car, opened up the boot pulled out a big box that no doctor or chemist would have. She had every kind of bandage and first aid stuff. She put on disinfectant and bandaged me up. She was down on her knees doing all this.

“There was a Garryowen man who stayed with me all the time. There must have been over 10 people who helped me on the street. These are the people of Limerick I want to thank,” said Tom, who was then brought to a coffee shop

“Again I don’t know the name of it. Four of us went in there for coffee. They gave us two coffees each. I wanted to pay for them but they wouldn’t take a penny,” said Tom, who was supposed to meet his friend in a cafe in Little Catherine Street.

“I didn’t think of ringing him. My hands were all cut and swollen. Another complete stranger went down and told him I am up here. They couldn’t do enough for me.

“They made sure I was all right. They wanted me to go to the Regional. I said no because I’d be only bothering them and I’d be waiting around,” said Tom. Now he says he is “flying it” apart from looking like he went a few rounds with fellow Castleconnell man Andy Lee.

Tom said in other cities people would have walked over him but not in Limerick.

“I feel indebted to those people, the ordinary good people of Limerick. All the negative things you hear about Limerick and people saying there is no charity in them – they are full of it. It is when the chips are down you realise it. I want to put this in the Leader, I want to thank them all,” said Tom.

While he didn’t catch the name of the lady in the Nissan Micra, Tom would like to thank her in person. 

“I’d love to take her out for a coffee with a couple of her friends in case she felt uncomfortable. I can’t thank the people who helped me enough,” said Tom.

If you are in the lady in question please email donal.oregan@limerickleader.ie and we will put you in touch with Tom.