*Mary Maloney with friends at The Fair Green.
There was great excitement and joy in Steeles Terrace this week as popular local resident Mary Maloney returned home after a nine week stay in hospital.
Mary, who’s aged in her eighties, has been a resident of Steeles Terrace her entire life being born to parents who also lived on the well-known Ennis street which runs along by the Fair Green.
Mary has become a well-known fixture in the local community across the long life she’s spent there. However, recently she was forced to leave her home on Steeles Terrace for over two months after she broke her hip.
Mary says one of the biggest things she missed in hospital was her morning ritual, “every morning at 8 o’clock I take my dog for a walk at the Fair Green and then I go to mass at 10 o’clock. I’m in the choir as well. I haven’t been since of course. I don’t know when I’ll get down to mass”.
The only thing she missed more, despite all the visits she received in hospital, was her friends in Steeles Terrace “all my friends, I have so many friends” said Mary, “why they stick around I cannot explain but I’d be dead only for them”.
Despite her delight at returning home Mary had nothing but praise for Limerick hospital and its staff “they were very good. Fantastic I must say”.
Mary’s friend Dymphna O’Mahony explained why Mary’s absence was felt so strongly in the community, “She was in hospital for nine weeks and everyone was just asking and asking and asking about Mary. She’s just a really well known and well liked character, a very kind woman. That’s why everyone was concerned for her when she fell and broke her hip”.
Dymphna says Steeles Terrace has always been a very close-knit community, “God yes [Steeles Terrace is a close knit community], she has some beautiful neighbours who cut her grass and took care of her dog when she was in hospital”.
Dymphna also revealed that Mary has returned to her daily walks on the Fair Green with her dog Lucky, though for the minute at least, with a walker.
