Some people believe that family heirlooms pass with them the strength, knowledge and wisdom of the previous owner. In the weeks after my Nana passed away, I found myself longing to be close to her again and somehow found comfort in her jewelry.
In the days after she left us, I found myself wanting to be in her presence for a little longer – enveloped by her sounds, smells and spirit. But in the absences of her physical being I was drawn to things she left behind, especially her jewelry, which she loved.
As I looked through her jewelry box, I was flooded with precious memories. Each piece of jewelry represented a stage in her life and an element of her personality. Sitting in the stillness of her empty room examining one piece of jewelry after another, I felt so close to her, as if she was beside me again.
Claddagh ring: a hard worker
From her days as the eldest of six growing up in a village pub, to her married years rearing five children on a farm in Rathbaun; she was a diligent, dutiful worker and had natural instinct to nurture. Plucking poultry, churning butter, making clothes – there was no task too challenging or gruesome.
In the weeks since her death, family and friends have spoken about her apple tarts, her cooking and her welcoming home – a place where people came for company and craic, and were always made feel included. She was an inclusive homemaker – she worked hard, shared her riches and wanted for nothing.
Engagement ring: eternally devoted
“How did Paddy propose? Did he get down on one knee?” I would ask. She would laugh and roll her eyes, scoffing at my romantic modern day notions.
Nana survived her husband Paddy by 25 years and I believe they married for love. He died when I was just two so I have no real memories of him, but from what I gather, he was a calm and witty character, and they complemented each other.
Over the years I would regularly ask her if I could try on her ring. She would gladly hand it to me but always assured me who the ring was going to – definitely not me. She treasured her ring; recently got it polished, and felt significance in passing it down through the generations.
Nana always wore her engagement ring and through my sentimental eyes it was a testament to their everlasting love. She outlived Paddy by 25 years but her engagement ring kept him close to her always.
Earrings: certain style
These Galway Bay earrings were Nana’s signature piece of jewelry, which she wore for as long as I can remember. They were a statement of a proud Galway tribeswoman, and to me, they’re a reminder of her sophistication; her interest in fashion, her enduring respect for quality and her definite style.
She often told me that her wedding dress was handmade in Moons with a fabric sourced exclusively from Paris – a benchmark of style and an indication of how much she valued quality. She was never shy about casting a critical eye on the style of the day and lending her opinion on our latest purchase.
Looking at these earrings I can vividly picture her striding down Shop Street, scouring the rails of Brown Thomas, picking up cashmere jumpers and interrogating the labels. She knew what she wanted and she most definitely knew what she didn’t want.
Locket: unlocking the past
I had never seen this heart until my aunt showed it to me a couple of weeks after Nana passed away. I noticed that there were little dents in it and my aunt told me that they were teeth marks caused by her and her siblings biting on it as children.
It was a strange moment when – for the first time – I visualized Nana as a young mother. I imagined mom and her siblings as mischievous toddlers, nagging and pulling out of their mother. I envisioned Nana carrying them on her hip, reading them bedtime stories and soothing their tears.
Thinking about her, around the same age as I am now, experiencing excitement and fear is a revelation, and as I piece together the span of her lifetime, the picture of an incredibly kind, humble and strong woman is emerging.
Anchor: the kingdom of Kinvarra
This anchor reminds me of our endless visits to Kinvarra, the nearest seaside town to Ardrahan where Nana spent her teenage years in an all-Irish boarding school. Passing the gates of her old school on regular drives to Kinvarra would often spark questions and discussions about her years spent at boarding school.
She told us stories about her time there; about being dropped to Seamount by pony and trap, her mother visiting her with oranges and freshly baked cakes, being brought on walks in the Burren on the weekends, and about her friends. She spoke fondly about the Irish language and songs she learned at Seamount, often breaking into a verse of Peigín Leitir Móir or Báidín Fheilimí.
She always retained her love of Irish. Fittingly, on her final weekend on this earth, she sat contently in the spring sunshine singing Anois Teacht an Earraigh and launching into conversations as gaeilge with those who could keep up.
Never the end
The inevitable separation of death is always a shock. Nothing can fill the vacuum of physical absence. But, finding loved ones in everything they have left behind can help. Nana’s jewelry is helping me preserve my memories of her.
And as I reflect on her and our relationship over these past 27 years, I am grateful for a lot. I am grateful for everything she has thought me, and how she has enriched my worldview. Standing on her shoulders, I can see right from wrong, I can channel meaning from noise and I can recognize that I am just one small part of a rich, strong and beautiful history.
