I was just a kid, maybe nine or ten years old when Rosa came into my life. She was so pretty, young, and fun! I remember being in the kitchen of Bryndhu (our family home on Claremont Road, Sandymount, where Mike and I grew up) when Ma told me the news that Mike and Rosa were engaged! What excitement! She was going to be my sister-in-law!
I met her mam and her auntie who lived in a very tidy house in Stillorgan. They were as neat and petite as Rosa! I loved seeing her all dressed up when she and Mike had a special event to go to — a dress dance or some such occasion. In my eyes she was glamorous and beautiful. Her tiny dainty feet and hands were a source of fascination to me!
In those early days she worked for Mick Sweeney, the dentist in Donnybrook, and always had a fun tale to tell. She got on so well with everyone. I remember going out fishing with Rosa and Mike on Sweeney’s boat and catching mackerel off Dalkey, I think it was. Mike and Rosa made the most of their free time and were often generous in taking me on picnics or swims in their little green Volkswagen, Nik, to Seapoint or White Rock. Blackberry picking was an Autumn delight, especially when Rosa then made one of her delicious tarts. She could put together an apple tart in record time!
Rosa was like a big sister to me as I grew from a kid into my teenage years and young adulthood. She was smart. She had a lot of knowledge and wisdom, but above all else, she had a set of values that I admired. She provided wise counsel whenever I asked for it; every youngster should be so lucky to have a caring young adult in their lives as Rosa was in mine.
Rosa established a routine where we would go to movies together — just the two of us. We loved historical movies such as “Anne of The Thousand Days”, “A Man for All Seasons”, and “The Taming of the Shrew”. She had a great knowledge of history as well as a love of literature and poetry. I always expected her to become a published writer one day, once the children had grown. She was known to pen the odd bits of doggerel; I remember her writing a funny piece for the Blood Donor Service entitled “The House Where the Pelican Dwells!”
Rosa came from Galmoy in Co Kilkenny. She attended Loreto Boarding School in Navan. Both her parents were teachers, and later Rosa herself worked as a sub-teacher in Wolverhampton. I was thrilled when Mike and Rosa moved to Castle Park, Sandymount, just a five minute walk from Claremont Road. I often called in for a cuppa and a chat, and in retrospect, I realize that my frequent visits may not have always been a great idea. Rosa always made me feel welcome and special. We would end up laughing even when I thought the world was coming to an end over some personal drama in my life at the time!
When the babies arrived I was one very happy auntie! The first three arrived one after the other, so it was a very busy household. Rosa handled the job of full-time carer with grace and good humour. Everyone in Sandymount knew her and her little brood, and she always had a cheery or kind word for everyone she met along the way. She volunteered for Meals on Wheels, The Irish Cancer Society, Northumberland Road, Breast Cancer’s Reach to Recovery program and was a Reader for illiterate adults.
When my life had taken a twisty path and I had lost my way somewhat, it was Rosa I thought about—her values and what she would advise regarding my lifestyle choices. I wrote her a long epistle from Hong Kong, which in itself was therapeutic! We all need someone in our lives who can be an anchor to us, especially in our early adult years. Rosa was that person to me. When I became a mum myself to our darling daughter, Ceara, I couldn’t wait to show her off to Rosa! How thrilled I was that she and Mike came out to New Zealand to meet her! Happy days!
Haere ra taku tuakana! (Go well, my older sister)
Beannacht Dé ar do anam (The blessings of God on your soul)
Rosa’s ashes are interred in the Columbarium Wall in St Matthew’s Parish Church, Irishtown. Her first anniversary will be on October 15th next.
