The late Priscilla Walsh Noble (1955-2015).
It is with deep regret that we record the death of Priscilla Walsh Noble, director and former news editor of The Munster Express.
Born in 1955 at Cliff Grange, the Walsh family home in Tramore, she attended St Angela’s Primary School and then went to the Ursuline Secondary School.
At school she played tennis and hockey, took part in school plays and musicals and won an elocution gold medal awarded by The Royal London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
A member of Tramore Tennis Club, she won many titles and competitions across the South East and also played representative tennis for Munster.
After completing her Leaving Certificate, Priscilla went on to study at the Rathmines College of Journalism in Dublin.
Following graduation, she studied French and Spanish at Trinity College Dublin and represented the university in international tennis competitions against English, Scottish and Welsh colleges.
She also once trained under the Swedish World Champion, Bjorn Borg, at a tennis academy at Puente Romano in Spain.
Her course at Trinity involved travel to Salamanca in Spain and Castlenaudary in South West France and she completed a BA in Modern Languages and Fine Arts.
She later lectured in Fine Art at Waterford Institute of Technology and was news Editor of The Munster Express from 1980 to 1988.
Priscilla was one of the first female news editors in the regional press. Accuracy in editing was one of her strengths and she showed great interest in community events and coverage, liaising with reporters, correspondents and photographers.
Priscilla first met her husband to be, Peter Noble, in London in 1976 when he had just arrived in the British capital from his birthplace in Newcastle upon Tyne.
A Mechanical Engineer, he had recently graduated from Leeds University. Their first meeting was at a Queen concert in Hyde Park that she attended with her brother, Kieran.
While they were drawn to each other, their paths did not cross again until on a business trip to London as News Editor of The Munster Express, they renewed their acquaintance. Romance blossomed and they married in 1988 and had a son Peter Jnr born in 1991.
Priscilla enjoyed many happy holidays in Europe visiting the sights in France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, and Germany. She would always have her travel guides with her, reading up the history and local points of interest and eagerly passing on the information to her husband and son.
Family was everything to Priscilla, followed by her love of Ireland, all sporting events, especially tennis and rugby, current affairs (always an avid reader of The Munster Express and The Irish Times) and, of course, travel.
Her son Peter recalls her modesty at her achievements through her many interests and hobbies from sport to travelling, languages, history, art and culture.
A great traveller, she was fluent in French and Spanish and the family enjoyed many memorable holidays in Europe visiting all the great museums and galleries.
A wonderful mother with a heart of gold, she enjoyed taking her dog for walks in Richmond Park and, on trips to Ireland, she particularly loved informing her son of its beauty and artistic treasures enriching him with an interest in art and design.
Priscilla had been to the Montreal Olympics in 1976, Moscow in 1980, Los Angeles in 1984, Korea in 1988 and Barcelona in 1992.
Therefore, she completely embraced the London Olympics of 2012 and attended as many of the ceremonies and competitions as she could.
Her passing was all too soon but many will remember her kindness to others, her unshakable Faith, her charm, her wit and her companionship. She will always be in the hearts and minds of her loving family.