Obituary - Teresa Smyth

Teresa Smyth was born at 60 Main Street Cavan on August 1 1914 to Mary Josephine Smyth (Nee Maloney) just two weeks after the death of her father Michael J Smyth J P and former chairman of Cavan Urban Council. The family had a bar grocery and shipping agency which later evolved to become an electrical store Smyth's. From birth she possessed the cure of 'the dirty mouth' (as she had never seen her father) and was always very much in demand being rewarded on each visit to the poorest of houses with an apple or sweets. She never ceased to marvel at the generosity of the poorer people in the town whom she visited frequently. By the way the cure always worked! Youngest of a family of eight Teresa was educated at Saint Clare's and Cavan Technical School where she came under the influence of the legendary headmaster William Fogarty, graduating with a diploma in typing and short hand after many evening grinds given freely and enthusiastically by the headmaster. Law After finishing school she joined the law firm of GV Maloney Market House Cavan and learnt the rudiments of the law business from an acknowledged master who among other things had been the law agent for Arthur Griffith in the famous East Cavan by-election of 1917. Among Teresa's colleagues on the staff was Joe Dunne from Castletara who never missed an opportunity to entertain the staff on the saxophone -when GV Maloney was out of town! Joe was later to form his own very successful dance band and founded the firm of Joe Dunne Insurance and Brokers 6 Main Street which is happily flourishing to day under the stewardship of his son P J and grandson Gavin. Maloney's later opened a branch in Arva and Teresa was the first manager of the office commuting to Cavan at weekends. Later she joined the law firm of Kearns McGeough in Ballybay set up by Monaghan town solicitors Drs Kearns and McGeough where she spent 10 happy years and commuted to Cavan by train for festivals and holidays. In 1950 Teresa joined General Accident Insurance head office in Dublin. The work ethic was strict and she was expected to take dictation and type 60 letters per day. So outstanding was Teresa at her work that she was recruited by the CEO of the organisation to stay on in the evening to type even more letters for no extra promotion or reward. During her nearly 30 years with the firm she made many life long friends and treasured the discipline and training she acquired with the firm. Theatre During that time she was a frequent visitor to her uncle Mickey Smyth who owned the famous Joyce Pub Mulligan's of Poolebeg Street which adjoined the back stage door of the Theatre Royal. She got to know all the stars of the day including Jack Cruise Jimmy O Dea Cyril Cusack Maureen Potter Noel Purcell Peggy Dell and many others and always accompanied them from Poolebeg Street to the Monday Confraternity in the nearby Pro Cathedral. Teresa loved live theatre and attended matinees in the Royal and later Gaiety Theatres with her nieces and grand-nieces for over 50 years. Her sense of humour was infectious and she was a wonderful story-teller, weaving tales of suspense and intrigue from her experiences in the legal profession. She was an accomplished actress in her own right and starred in many productions by the Cavan Players including their award winning performance 'Autumn Fire' at the first Cavan Drama Festival in 1946. Having retired at 65 Teresa decided that she was a bit young to give up work and with the aid of a face lift and colouring for her now grey hair she managed to present herself as a 50-something looking for a job in her first love, the legal profession. She was engaged by the Smithfield based Moran/Ryan and Company - Des Ryan was then Sheriff for County Dublin and Teresa remained there happy and contented in her work until the firm were taken over by an IT driven legal firm from Northern Ireland - Teresa was by then nearly 77 years of age. Writing An author of note she was a life time contributor to Woman's Way The Advocate Cork Evening Echo Ireland's Own The Messenger The Word and other Catholic periodicals. She served as Editor of the Sacred Heart Messenger for a period of 15 years and brought many new features and layout styles to the production which is still very popular today. She contributed a story every year to The Anglo-Celt Christmas Number and had several books of short stories published. Following her trip to the Holy Land in 1980 she wrote 'A Bird's Eye View of the Holy Land' detailing the places of interest to be visited. She was greatly assisted in this work with photographs and illustrations supplied by the Divine Word Fathers in Drumanon Roscommon. Social Founder and captain of Saint Anthony's Bridge Club Clontarf, Teresa got great social enjoyment from the game and met many new lifelong friends. In her youth she was a very well known camogie player lining out with Cavan Slashers and winning several County Championship medals. She served for 10 years as secretary of County Cavan Camogie Board and it was during Teresa's stewardship that Cavan won the Ulster Senior Championships in 1940 and 1941. She greatly assisted Father Oliver Reilly in research for the compilation of the soon to be published 'Cavan Camogie Centenary'-contributing some priceless photographs and anecdotes of the early years of camogie in the town and county. An intrepid traveller Teresa toured extensively in Ireland England Scotland and Wales during the war years. Later she visited many European destinations beginning her travels soon after the end of World War II, journeying over land to Lourdes, Fatima and Rome. She had a special affection for Yugoslavia and its people and wrote many articles about her travels when she returned to Ireland. Home Having spent over 50 years in Dublin Teresa returned home to Cavan and Annalee House 7 Cootehill Road in the Summer of 1999. Avid reader she was a frequent visitor to the magnificent Johnston Central Library where she was on first name terms with all the staff and continued to write and publish articles in local periodicals. Every Sunday along with her sister-in-law Kathleen Smyth and niece Patsy Maloney she paid a visit to the Kilmore Hotel or the Slieve Russell in Ballyconnell where she partook of Sunday lunch and a luxuriated in the opulent surrounds meeting old friends and acquaintances recalling the golden era of their youth. Amazed at the transformation in the appearance and affluence of her native town Teresa often compared the harsh but happy days of her childhood with the apparent wealth and luxury of the present day but always felt that a high price has been exacted for the rise in living standards and alarming misbehaviour and abuse of some of the present generation. She abhorred the introduction of hard drugs to the Irish people and cited it as one of the reasons she was glad to leave Dublin and return home. Peacefully Teresa Smyth after a lifetime of devotion and service to her family neighbours and friends passed peacefully and serenely to her eternal reward surrounded by her much loved nieces Mary Joan and Breda McConnell as they recited the Rosary at the Lourdes Hospital Drogheda on Friday 14th January 2011.Father John Gilhooley Adm assisted by Father Eugene Clarke received the remains at the Cathedral on Saturday evening the 15th of January and her funeral Mass the following day was celebrated by Father John Gilhooley assisted by Fathers Patsy Young and Tom Mannion.The liturgy was beautifully enhanced by the singing of the Cathedral Choir with Eileen Tackney on the organ and Carmel O Donoghue soloist. Burial took place in Killygarry cemetery. Predeceased by her brothers Terry (Historian) Mick (60 Main Street Cavan) Tommy (Butlersbridge) Paddy Cavan and sisters Alice McConnell Ashe Street Molly Cavan and Kathy Conaty Connolly Street she is survived by her nephews nieces of the Smyth and McConnell families neighbours and many friends. May she Rest in Peace.