Birr’s Margaret Reaches 100th Birthday
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Mrs Margaret Loughnane with members of her extended family, who gathered to celebrate with her at the County Arms Hotel, Birr last Wednesday on the occasion of 100th birthday.
MARGARET Loughnane from Birr gracefully reached a milestone very few people are lucky enough to ever come even close to last week, when she celebrated her 100th birthday amongst family and friends from as far away as Australia and the United States.
Except for a few bumps in the road, life has been good to Margaret, who celebrated her big day last Wednesday with an eight hour party and her rendition of 'Paddy McGinty's Goat' drew rapturous applause and a standing ovation.
The former Managing Director of the County Arms, Loughnane Concrete and Loughnane Builders, told the Tribune she is 'delighted' to reach her fine age in such good fettle.
Born in Birr on January 4th 1912, Margaret has seen her share of history. She has lived through numerous wars and recessions, witnessed the Black and Tans active in Birr, watched as electricity spread across Ireland for the first time and seen inventions which have changed the world.
Margaret, who says she has never missed a copy of the Tribune, enjoys a small drop of whiskey every night before bed and says 'good food, hard work and good company' are the secret of her longevity and lucidity.
Margaret's earliest memory is the burning of the barracks in Crinkle in 1922, when she was just ten years old: 'It burned for a week if not more. We stood out in the yard all day long watching it burn and you could see the blaze in the sky from miles away,' Margaret remembers.
Once Margaret met the Black and Tans in Birr: 'I met them near Derrinsallow Mill on my way to school across the fields in Annagh school. I wasn't afraid of them, as I didn't know who they were or what they were doing. It was a long walk to school, three or four miles at least.'
Margaret also has many fond memories of her years spent in Birr and some of the well-known local people who have graced her life - such as Jim Giblin, who many Birr people will remember.
'Once my father sent me into town to cash a cheque, but they wouldn't cash the cheque for a young girl,' Margaret remembers with a faraway look. 'They asked me who do I know in Birr town and I told them I know Jim Giblin. I was only 10 or 11 years old at the time. Well, Jim came across the road because he lived across from the bank and he made it happen for me,' she remembers with a smile.
However, Birr today is a very different place to the one Margaret remembers: 'Sure it's not Birr at all anymore. Someone recently told me that nobody sleeps on the Main Street anymore and I couldn't believe it.'
Daughter of William and Mary Ellen Mitchell from Clondalla, Margaret married her late husband Michael on June 12th, 1940 in Aglish Church. Upon the untimely death of Michael 48 years ago, Margaret was thrust into the role of Managing Director and was faced with earning her stripes in the world of business quickly.
With the help of her brother-in-law Christopher, Margaret excelled in business, taking the reins of the family business while nine of her ten children were still in school - an incredible testimony to her hardy nature and strong work ethic.
Seven of Margaret's children are still alive today and to date Margaret has 31 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. On the day of celebrations Margaret's children Brendan, Paddy, Sean, Willie, Kathleen, Mary and Josephine were all in Birr to mark the occasion with Margaret.
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