THE death took place, peacefully, at her late residence on Tuesday last of Mrs Eileen Boyle, College Road, Letterkenny.
Eileen was born to Charles and Catherine Doherty on 29th March, 1929 in Glack, Inishowen. She grew up on a farm and recalled many happy times of simple fun that was had there with her brothers and sisters during her youth.
After finishing school Eileen went to England where she trained in Nursing and Midwifery. She had a dedication to her vocation and this was often observed and commented by those who worked alongside her during her time on duty.
Eileen took a break from nursing when she married Joe Boyle of Market Square, Letterkenny in 1959 and they went on to have five children together. Eileen returned to nursing in Letterkenny General Hospital and enjoyed another 15 years of doing what she loved before retiring in 1994.
Eileen found her way to the game of golf which she loved and often said the beauty of golf is that while you are playing it the only thing you have to worry about is getting that “wee ball into that wee hole”.
Why do it once a day when you enjoy it so much so Eileen needed two golf buddies. She would get up at 7am to go play with her first buddie and afterwards go for a sleep, before going to play a second time in the afternoon with a second golf buddie.
By this stage Eileen had taken up the game of Bridge along with her sister Sadie and while it is fair to say that Eileen never mastered all of the Conventions in Bridge, it is true to say that she got to meet a new group of people. To some extent she couldn’t get enough play in and so there would be house games and then was bridge online, making Eileen determined to master her use of a computer to be able to spend more time playing bridge on a nightly basis when there were no games at the club.
Eileen enjoyed a happy and full retirement with grandchildren being added to the family and she took an interest and joy in spending time with each and all of them and got watch them grow and progress.
She went to Australia in 1993 to be with her daughter Angela after the birth of her latest grandchild Declan and decided that four weeks was not enough and ultimately stayed for about 8 weeks.
Eileen had a deep faith and belief and took strength from it over her life during the good times and bad. Eileen had a period where she became involved with the Adoration Chapel and did her hour on a weekly basis.
Eileen maintained a full life, lived on her own and was able to continue driving right up to her 86th year. She had mastered driving in Galway as it meant she was able to get herself over and back to the Bridge Club there.
While Eileen had blood pressure that was hard to control and resulted in quite a few hospitalisations over the years she was always looking to get it tempered and found out about the DASH diet and so she started “juicing” in her late seventies.
Eileen swore by her new juicing regime for many years but she unfortunately suffered a stroke at 86 and was lucky to make what has to be considered a good recovery.
Ten weeks later she and was ready to leave Hospital but she was not quite ready to go home and went to live with her daughter Elaine and Elaine’s husband Jonathan and their family in Galway. Eileen was lucky even at this stage when Elaine got someone to spend time with her there and Eileen found a new friend for life, called Mary.
Lucky as Eileen was she wanted back home to what she called ‘her own wee corner’ and so it was that she returned home to College Road, Letterkenny in 2017 to be cared for by son Cathal and his partner Sean who had taken career breaks to look after Eileen.
Eileen was lucky to have the immeasurable support and input of her sister Kathleen from Eileen’s stroke right through to her final days. She again was lucky and had the support to be able to spend her last days and years of her life at home. Being someone who was never one to put other people out, Eileen appreciated all that was done to make it possible for her to be cared for at home right up to the end.
Eileen leaves behind those who were very lucky to have her as their mother, their grandmother, their great grandmother and their friend.
Requiem Mass was celebrated in St Eunan’s Cathedral on Friday by Fr Philip Kemmy with interment afterwards in Conwal Cemetery
Predeceased by husband Joe (2008) she is fondly remembered by sons Noel (Derry), Joseph (Mondooey) and Cathal (Letterkenny), daughters Angela Breen (Galway) and Elaine Powell (Galway). Deeply regretted by loving sister Kathleen Costigan (Letterkenny) extended family, neighbours and many friends
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