What will my epitaph be? I’ll give you a clue
Eileen, 95, is queen of the crosswords
A SCOTS gran has become so hooked on crosswords that she is vowing to have one engraved on her tombstone.
Brainy Eileen Doherty, 95, from Paisley, spends her days solving the toughest clues.
The Sunday Post reader uses her trusty iPad and dictionaries to hunt for answers.
Passionate about her hobby, she even gets up in the middle of the night to complete a puzzle if she thinks of an elusive answer while in bed.
In her immaculate home, cards for her 95th birthday two weeks ago still stand to attention on the mantelpiece, surrounded by family photographs and, of course, countless crosswords.
Looking up from her latest challenge, she smiled: “The tougher the crosswords are, the more I like them.
“I’ll not stop until I finish them and even get up in the middle of the night to complete a toughie which has beaten me the day before.
“When I die, I want to put on my headstone: Here lies Eileen, 6 down 3 across!
“My family think I am joking, but it would be a great epitaph.
“I am so keen that even if there is work to be done in the house and I have not finished the crossword, I much prefer to do that.
“I think the most important thing in life is keeping your sense of humour. Without it life is much harder.”
Eileen grew up in Paisley, the second eldest of eight children, born to her mum Mary and dad Jim Woods, the local coalman.
She won a scholarship to the town’s convent school, St Margaret’s.
But her loved ones decided to move to Donegal when Eileen was 17. Now, as the last surviving member of her family, she is determined to reach her 100th birthday.
Her long and healthy life is, she believes, a result of going to bed early and shunning drinking and smoking.
Her son Declan, 56, said: “Mum has always been busy. I don’t know what she would do if she didn’t have her crosswords and family.
“My childhood memories are of her rushing about doing housework and cooking.
“She really only took up crosswords when we grew up, probably because she didn’t have the time until then.”
Eileen worked as a clerical officer with the Donegal council until she married Kevin, a rates collector.
Back then, women were not allowed to continue working after they married so, like many others of her generation, Eileen devoted her life to her kids.
Kevin, second youngest of six, added: “Mum grew up with The Sunday Post. She loves the crosswords.”
And the hobby has proven profitable.
“I have won a few hundred pounds in prizes,” she smiled.
“This usually goes to my grandchildren.”
Besides crosswords, Eileen loves TV soaps, but feels the storylines are “a bit rough”.
“There’s more fun in solving crossword clues,” she smiled.