Profile of Nora Ward

Nora Ward was the youngest of thirteen children. Her father was a chimney sweep and tinsmith who used to work with farmers. In her early years years, Nora travelled the countryside with her parents and family and spent time living in Roscommon, Strokestown, Ballgar and Glenamaddy. She remembers those years as a time when “you could leave the door open and never be afraid”. In 1963 she married Martin Ward and the couple lived at the side of the road for their first four years of marriage. When Nora was in her early twenties she and her husband moved onto their first house on the Dublin Rd. in Tuam, with the help of SrLeo and Fr Williams. Nora says that nuns and priests have been very good to her during her life. When the Ward family first moved to Tuam, Nora wasn’t fond of the town as she didn’t know anyone and found it very hard to mix. However this soon changed as Nora began to make lots of new friends, she mixed with the settled community and travellers alike, and says of the Tuam people’ I could tell them my secrets and trust them’. I could tell them my secrets and trust them; She now lives in Parkmore Est. Tuam and says she wouldn’t leave it for the world.
Nora and her husband Martin have fourteen Children-nine girls and four boys-they also lost a son who died very young. They also have forty-eight grandchildren. When Nora was young she worked and says there wasn’t time in those days for school. However, she ensured that all of her children received a good education in Tuam with the boys doing their Leaving Certificate in St. Patrick’s College, and the girls doing their leaving Certificate in the Presentation College . Nora speaks with great pride of her children and says they all did very well, and they all came out with good jobs. I hope this training in Primary Health Care goes on for a long time. Its a great way to meet new friends and interact with different cultures, by doing this training I have learned a lot of skills and information. Nora admits she often had a tough time rearing fourteen children with her husband Martin, to whom she will be married to for forty-four years this July. There was no time for her to get an education, however when her youngest child was twelve, in 1996 Nora decided to return to education. This wasn’t an easy move for Nora and she say when she was learning to write her name people would sometimes laugh at her. Although it was also hard for her to cope at home. Nora stayed in education for four years and made many good friends. In 2005 a wonderful opportunity came along for Nora where she began a course in Primary Health Care with twelve other traveller women where she is now training in Health and Literacy Skills.

Likes and Dislikes

Nora likes cooking brown bread and has great time for African children. She enjoys going to the Novena and meeting new people. She eats healthy food and enjoys taking a walk. She likes

to share with people, to attend mass and visit Knock. She loves to see the altar made and most important to her is the Rosary, which she says every day. She likes to offer advice to the young and spend time with the elderly.

Nora doesn’t like people to act in selfish ways or to hear people gossiping about each other. She hates to hear people criticise and hurt each other and would like them to go to mass more often to learn more about selfish ways and to have their confessions heard.

Favourite colour: Sky Blue

Favourite food: Bacon and Cabbage

Favourite Movie: Star John Wayne

Favourite Place: Lourdes or a good Party

Favourite Singer: Daniel O’Donnell

Most Admired Person: Mary Mc Aleese

Favourite T/V. to watch: Irish Step Dancing

If I had three wishes they would be....................
1. For more peace in the world
2. To have a hospital in Tuam.

Nora’s Story

When I was a little girl in my mother’s knee, she used to tell me nice stories and rock me to sleep on her knee. She curled up my Blondie hair with differn' coloured ribbons in my hair hanging down. She made some nice dresses for me to wear and on St. Patrick’s Day. she used to make badges out of green ribbon to put on our coat for St. Patrick's Day. . They would pick the shamrock in the field and my dad would wear it on St Patrick’s Day.

He was in the army when he was a young boy, he knew how to walk and twist around and then you’d know it was St Patrick’s Day. He would turn up his long whisks and sids it up with soap, He would comb his lovely curly hair and he’d smoke his pipeand have his lovely smoke. My mother would polish her black boots, a mush a God be with the times they would polish them with the goose grease they’d have there. They weren’t able to afford polish, the grace used to polish things shining that you would see them coming on your way. She used to keep her ‘breegen’ that was her begging piece. She used to be proud of that. She’d get her old black shawl and put it on her back. “Dear Child” she said. ‘You cannot come’ cause I’m going for a bottle of stout’. Her clay pipe she did light and when the smoke was coming out it was just like an old train with the whistler blowing out. Dad and Mom, they were good days, I do getlonly when I sit down and look around, I have no one to see there.
Children Dear take my advice, those things they are so true”’
Take care of your old dad and Mom no matter what they do”. They brought you into this world to seek for the best, don’t go around to old people and bate them and do wrong to them. Sure my mother often told me to treat the older well, to always take care of them and be their sweet good friend.
I told a story to my family for them to share it on to tell their children that their Mom did tell them. I am closing down and proud of this and I wish that I could write this story myself. I hope this story will go on when I am gone for ye to learn good. My tears rolls down at night time. My pillow it is so soft. God be with the time we had those days; sure the time was very short. My bleesing to you one and all and wish you health and happiness.

Always loved,

Nora Ward

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