IRELAND’S nursing home residents have opened their treasured photo albums to recall the happiest times of their lives.
Men and women in their golden years look back on cherished memories of dancing, playing music, buying cigarettes on the cheap in Moore Street — and even lying about the sea being warm to get others to join them in the water!
To celebrate Nursing Homes Week, some residents have shared their favourite memories of lives well-lived with The Irish Sun.
Rose Walsh showed us a picture of herself on her wedding day in Dublin’s Francis Street in 1974.
Born and reared in the Liberties, she said one of her earliest memories is her sister giving her “a cigarette around the back of St Patrick’s Cathedral when I was 16 — I’m off the smokes six months now”.
She added: “We walked everywhere, back in the day. I did all my grocery shopping down on Moore Street.
“You could get apples and oranges, cabbages, potatoes, flowers, and that’s where I got my cigarettes because they were cheaper.”
For Patrick Williams, he shared his happiest memory of when he went to Spain with his youngest grandchild, and taught them to swim.
The water has been a huge part of his life and he learned to swim in a much harder way — when his dad threw him into the canal to learn.
But he picked it up quickly and swam with his brothers George and Tommy, before teaching his own kids.
He said he “would swim in the sea and at the Forty Foot, no matter what the weather”.
And to trick the kids, he would tell them “the water was like soup to get them in, when in fact it would be freezing” or he lied and said the water was warmer when it rained.
Ann Flanagan was born in Churchtown in Dublin and now lives in Terenure Nursing Home.
She shared a collage of photos that make her happy, including one of her as a baby and some of her “beloved dogs”.
Dance hall days
She recalled 1960s Dublin and how it helped her meet her husband, saying: “Back then, we travelled on the number 55 bus into town.
“I used to socialise in the 1960s by going to various dance halls to see show bands perform.
“That’s how I met my husband — he was a drummer in a show band. I used to go with him and the band when they toured the length and breadth of the country.”
She added: “As a girl, I loved to draw and paint, I still do. I love dogs. I always kept dogs, especially Jack Russells.”
Safe city
Ida Devine also loved going to dances after moving to Dublin from Belfast when she was 12.
She recalled: “My friends and I used to go to ceilis in Parnell Square and dances in the Olympia Theatre and Camden Street.
“Dublin was very safe when I was growing up, and we used to go out and cycle around at night. We had no fear of anything!
“My favourite thing to do was go to the Stella Theatre in Rathmines on Sunday nights with my girlfriends — we made it a tradition.
“I worked in a bookies and loved it, staying there until it closed down.
“One of my scariest moments in Dublin was being on the way to work in 1966 when I saw crowds of people talking about how Nelson’s Pillar had been blown up! I’ll never forget that day.”
Sailing oceans
Prof David Kiely had a long and successful career in medicine, but he also said he is a “daredevil, always booking for adventure”.
He played rugby for Ireland in 1964, and recalled how one of their matches against Wales had to be called off due to a polio outbreak.
Now 89, David is in Carrigaline Nursing Home in Co Cork and recalled sailing across the Atlantic Ocean with his pal Bernie in the 1980s on a 50ft yacht with five others.
His pictures show him sailing — something he said he has now passed on to his son.
Army life
Olive Mulcahy’s dad was in the Army, so she grew up in Barracks in Kildare and Dublin, but she would choose a more musical path in life.
She said: “My favourite memory was visiting St Mary’s Church on Haddington Road with my family.
“At age five, I received my first piano and taught myself how to play.
“This began the start of my life in music, and I eventually learned to play the violin, too, with an excellent teacher.
“I studied in the UK and moved back to Dublin and taught in the College of Music in Chatham Row.
“In my 20s, my cousin Anna introduced me to Opus Dei which let me teach music and make my life about religion, which is very important to me.
‘Remarkable lives’
“There were only a few of us in the beginning and we met weekly in my house. I met many good friends who still visit. I still love playing the piano for all the staff and residents.”
Donal O’Brien is in Carrigaline now, but he was once a bookie in Cork, paid £2 a day. It brought out a love for horse and dog racing, which he shares with his friend Marie, and they would regularly visit the tracks.
Donal was a regular visitor to Cheltenham and still loves to watch the sport — as does Frances Duffy, who lives with the Windmill Group.
She shared a picture of her and her sister at the races in London in 1960.
Reflection
Nursing Homes Week 2024 is a celebration of the role of the homes providing care for older adults in Ireland.
This year’s theme is ‘Capturing Life’s Moments’ and the milestones throughout their lives.
Tadhg Daly, CEO of Nursing Homes Ireland, said: “Nursing Homes Week is a wonderful opportunity for us to come together as a community and celebrate the remarkable lives of our residents.
“It is a time to reflect on their invaluable contributions and to honour the dedication of our incredible staff who provide compassionate and quality care every day.
“This year’s theme of ‘Capturing Life’s Moments’ allows us to share and preserve the beautiful memories that define our lives.”
