Remembering a ‘genuine and nice’ Limerick woman

WHEN people look back on the life of Limerick woman Teresa Doyle, who has died aged 97, they will remember someone genuine and nice.

Teresa would often say, in order to calm things down, the three words: “for peace sake”.

And she always had a warm welcome for anyone who came to her home be it in Janesboro on the city’s southside – where she spent the majority of her days – or later Galway.

Born in Market Alley in the city near St Michael’s Church, Teresa was one of the original residents of Janesboro which in the 1930s and 1940s was in its infancy.

She was just 21 when she got married to her husband Martin, since deceased, in March 1946. They had been neighbours on the southside.

The mother-of-four had to grow up pretty quickly. Her elder sister Mary died that same year, while only a few weeks later her mother Brigid passed away after taking ill.

It was from there she looked after her father John and her brothers Paddy and Mick.

Casement Avenue in Janesboro was Teresa’s home, a street which became affectionately known as Honeymoon Avenue.

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This was because most of the people moved in there at the same time – young newlywed couples.

As her life went on, Teresa settled into a comfortable routine, finding joy in the simplest of things.

A devout Catholic, she would attend Mass at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Roxboro every morning.

She used to call up to her neighbours en-route, with a decade of the Rosary said an hour before the service began.

It was then a visit to the Post Office, before a trip to Tesco to get dinner, an afternoon preparing it, before settling in for the night.

There was nothing Teresa loved more than the soap operas – Emmerdale and Coronation Street were her favourites – while she was also partial to a detective show.

When it came to sports, it was a battle on the baize which tickled her fancy.

Former world champion Ken Doherty was her “boyfriend”, she used to say.

Her love of sport was not limited to the snooker hall though: she knew everything there was to know about Limerick hurling.

Despite her father being a staunch Clare man, She couldn’t abide the Banner – remembering a game in 1974 against them when Limerick were defending their All-Ireland title.

She often spoke about this contest when, as she said, many Limerick players were “carted off the field” and “bandaged up” at the hands of their rivals.

Having moved to Galway following a car accident to be looked after by one of her sons, she was especially proud to witness Limerick break their drought to land Liam MacCarthy in 2018.

Of course, they beat the Tribesmen by a point, and Teresa was left to celebrate the nail-biting win among Galway fans, of which her great grandchild was one!

She loved her music – Daniel O’Donnell gave her a ring when she turned 90, and even sent her one of his CDs and invite to his show.

Indeed, following her move to Corrib-side, she became part of the fabric of Galway too – to the extent that she lay in reposal both there and in her home city.

Teresa lived into her late 90s, but was never ill.

And in her final hours, she was able to enjoy a last glass of her favourite tipple.

She was initially offered a glass of water, a cup-of-tea and a slice of toast.

Politely declining these, she was then asked ‘how about a glass of Guinness’, to which she smiled widely, and answered: “Oh, yes, I’ll have that!”.

May she rest in peace.