After the Limerick Games – The Quiet Weeks That Followed

A few weeks after the Limerick Games, things went back to routine — or so it seemed.

Josephine came to my place, like always, for the extra day and our usual meal plans. On Sunday evenings, we’d make our way into town so she could catch the 133 bus back to Wicklow. But first, we always stopped into the local Tesco or SuperValu so she could pick up a few bits for her Monday morning breakfast at home. Just small things — bread, tea bags, maybe a few pieces of fruit.

I didn’t think much of it. This was our rhythm.

What I didn’t know at the time was how deeply the cost of that Limerick Games trip had affected her. I didn’t know how she had struggled, or what corners she had to cut just to be part of something that was supposed to be a celebration — a reward for years of dedication.

I remember traveling to Wicklow one Monday with a few extra bags of groceries, just to help out. That turned into a quiet routine too — me filling in the gaps without knowing why.

And then Josephine got sick. That was the turning point.

It was around then I found out the truth — the real cost of her involvement. The debt. The stress. The toll it had taken on her health.

That Tuesday, I walked into my local credit union and withdrew €500 in cash to wipe the slate clean. No hesitation. It wasn’t about the money — it was about dignity, and stepping in when someone had carried too much, for too long, in silence.

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