‘She would say life is too short to be holding grudges' – Ireland's oldest woman Sarah Coyle dies at the age of 108
Her grandson, Thomas Galligan, said his grandmother was an 'inspiration', who lived an amazing life through two pandemics, the Civil War, the War of Independence and two World Wars.
"You knew when you were talking to her that you were in the presence of someone significant. She was amazing,' he said.
She was one of 10 siblings – and one of three who lived over the age of 100. Her younger sister, Lily, aged 103, lives in Birmingham in the UK.
She grew up in Coolkenno before moving to Dublin at the age of 17, where she married her husband Tom Coyle – a near namesake of the place where she was born in Co Wicklow – in 1950.
She lost her sight just seven years later, at the age of 40, though lived independently for much of her life following her husband's death in 1986.
Mrs Coyle has two children, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
"She loved children, even though she couldn't see she would know the sound of the children's voices. She was just so happy when she had children with her,' said Mr Galligan.
Mrs Coyle had been living with her daughter, Marian Galligan, in Castleknock, Co Dublin, for the last number of years. Her son, Patrick, lives in Australia.
She received eight Presidential medals throughout her life, one for the year she turned 100 and another for each year since.
"She was always someone who was so comforting. She had a very gentle way about her, someone that you go to if you're upset or have any issues. She would calm you,' said her grandson Mr Galligan.
"She loved nothing more than having a cup of tea and chatting away for hours. She would just be so happy with the company.
"Because she lost her sight, the radio was her insight into what was going on in the world. She loved keeping on top of things and then, when she would be chatting to us, she would be discussing it and getting our opinion on things.'
Mr Galligan said his grandmother was a 'kind-hearted person who would have never held grudges against anyone' and was the type of person who would say 'life is too short to be holding grudges'.
"She always thought about others before she thought about herself. She was a very kind, gentle soul, gentle person.'
Mr Galligan recalled how his grandmother could recount stories from the War of Independence, encounters with the Black and Tans, and the rationing faced by the country during the Second World War.
"She lost her sight when she lived on her own. She loved gardening and flowers. She used to have different guide wires that she made by herself with her hands, to guide from the back door to the flower beds and she knew exactly where the tomato plants and the roses were, to guide herself around.
"She was very adaptable with a positive outlook on life. She learned to be happy with what she had and if her family was happy, she was happy.'
Like most things in her life, he said she took the title of being one of Ireland's oldest people 'in her stride' and her family has many happy memories of time spent with her.
"If we could all aspire to that. Her whole mantra was to kind of 'live and let live, life is too short to be having arguments'.'
A funeral mass for Mrs Coyle will take place in Blanchardstown Village Church later this week, before she is laid to rest alongside her late husband in Glasnevin Cemetery.
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