'The kindest person I ever met': Tributes paid to Limerick centurion Teresa O'Brien

Teresa O'Brien often told tales of her trips to Kilkee, and swimming - whatever the weather!

placeholder image — Teresa O'Brien often told tales of her trips to Kilkee, and swimming - whatever the weather!

WARM TRIBUTES have been paid to a city woman who has gone to her God at the grand age of 100.

Teresa O'Brien (née Noonan) who lived at Brookville Gardens at Old Cratloe Road on Limerick's northside, passed away peacefully on Friday at University Hospital Limerick.

For years, she ran the Thursday club in St Munchin's Temperance Hall in Thomondgate (now located in Moyross) alongside her two friends, Christy and Kitty who are both now sadly deceased.

One of her friends, who wished to be referred to as only Jude picked her up and dropped her home from these club meetings for many years.

"She was such a character, she was very popular with everyone - the staff and the club members. I remember she used to love chatting about her trips out to Kilkee. She used to love swimming - it didn't matter how cold it was! She told us about how she used to always go swimming when she was younger," said Jude.

In her later years, Teresa swapped the swimming pool for the card table, attending as many of the 45-drive card nights as she could in the community.

Asked how she will be remembered, Jude added: "Just as a lovely woman who was polite to everyone. Someone who had a great memory - and great stories to tell."

A number of other people took time out to pay tribute to the mother-of-five on www.rip.ie

Nora Carroll described her as "the kindest person I ever met."

She added: "It was a blessing to have her in our lives."

"A lovely lady and work colleague," was how Mary Reale, a former Mary Immaculate College nurse described Teresa.

And Caherdavin woman Marian Enright added: "I used to meet her on he bus, and we used to have a chat and a laugh. May she rest in peace."

Teresa is the beloved wife of the late John, and is sadly missed by her loving children Gerard, Sean, Mary, Catherine and Patricia, alongside daughters-in-law Maria and Caroline, sons-in-law Ger Sheehan and John Scanlon.

She will be reposing at Griffin’s Funeral Home tomorrow, Sunday, January 15, from 4pm to 5:30pm.

It'll be streamed live at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xWcX4DuFfo.

Teresa will be laid to rest afterwards in Ballycannon Cemetery, Meelick.

May she rest in peace.