Obituary: Tributes paid to Mount Sion Avenue's Peggy Ryan

Tributes have been paid to Margaret (Peggy) Ryan, Mount Sion Avenue, Waterford city, who passed away at 99 years of age on November 26, 2025.

Known colloquially as ‘Nanny Ryan’, Peggy was born on Green Street. She spent almost her whole life in Waterford, barring a brief spell in England.

She was remembered as an outgoing, devoutly religious woman who committed her days to St. Brigid’s and Lady Lane.

Peggy’s granddaughter Áine Burns said: “She was one of them people that helped everybody.” 

“She'd go to Lady Lane and do yoga and St Bridget's and all of that stuff. She loved her family, she loved bingo and things like that,” Ms Burns said.

Peggy had three children (Frank, Marian, Brenda), nine grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

She grew up as an adult during WWII and would have turned 100 years old in September.

“She was quite funny - I suppose she wanted to die a few years ago,” said Ms Burns.

“We all kind of got a bit of a laugh off that for years, because she kept wanting to know why the Lord hadn't taken her… And even though that was her wish, we were all still in a bit of shock when she died, she had a fall, and that's what happened to her.

“If she hadn’t the fall - because she was quite fine otherwise than that - she would have travelled to Lourdes.” 

Grieving family members commemorated Peggy as “a force of nature".

Adrienne Murphy, who hosts chair yoga classes at St. Brigid’s, described Peggy as “an amazing lady”. 

“She was one of our original group… she was a pleasure to have in the class and even though she wasn’t able to attend in person in recent times, we could feel her presence with us… rest well now Peggy and thanks for being you.”

“Our deepest sympathies to the family. A wonderful lady who will be missed by many and we miss her presence at Fenor National School events, especially Grandparents Day,” said the Fenor National School Parents Council.

“We are thinking of you all at this time.”