Nuala

“Where are my keys? Where are my keys?” The repeated question Mum would constantly ask, a sad reminder that our beautiful mum was in the latter stages of dementia.
Once the Irish Rose of Tralee and daughter of the Mayor of Limerick City, she left her home in Ireland to begin a new life in New Zealand. A lady who exuded a flair for fashion, she was the manageress of a high-end boutique and loved life in every sense – the life and soul of the party.
A new beginning in New Zealand but she always maintained her Irish heritage, in particular, her love of Irish music.

Dementia was very cruel; the mum we once knew was no longer there. Her screams would echo through the walls of her 24-hour care facility, day after day and night after night. Her only pacifier now was those Irish tunes. Her Irish eyes would only smile to the lyrics of Oh Danny Boy, and she would sing happily along to It’s a Long Way to Tipperary, her final place of rest.
Our family cannot thank Pauline Grogan enough for her love and care for Mum, and for having the wisdom and insight to recognise the wonder drug of music.
And thankfully, she did rest in peace…well…dancing in bed to those familiar Irish tunes. The luck of the Irish to be sure!