Margaret celebrates reaching 100th birthday with community drive-by

Margaret Farrington, the oldest resident in Delvin, celebrated her 100th birthday with family on the day (Wednesday last, November 4, 2020) and again with a community drive-by on Saturday.

While she was unable to see all her family due to the pandemic, she received phone calls and messages from them and she was delighted to receive her congratulatory letter and Centenarian Bounty from President Michael D Higgins.

On Saturday the people of Delvin came out within their 5km limits to drive by Margaret’s home on the main street to beep and congratulate her on reaching a momentous milestone.

Margaret was delighted with all that turned up to share in this celebration, especially when she couldn’t have a “big” party and celebrate the way she wanted to due to Covid-19.

Asked about her secret to living a long life, she said “hard work” and family genes. Margaret recalled how some of her relations on her mother’s side of the family lived until 103, so longevity is definitely in the family.

Since Covid-19 and lockdown arrived, Margaret misses getting out and about as much as she used to but is delighted to receive phone calls from all her family, those living in Ireland and those living abroad – in Scotland, England, America and Australia, which she looks forward to weekly. She hopes to be able to get out and about more over the coming months when a vaccination becomes available.

Margaret was born in Rathvilly, County Carlow, one of five daughters. Her father died at the age of 37 in an accident and her mother struggled under hard circumstances raising five daughters, all under the age of 10 at the time her husband died, on her own.

Margaret was born three days after the execution of Kevin Gerard Barry, the Irish republican, who was from the same parish as Margaret, Rathvilly.

Margaret recalls the time World War II began, when she was 19, and having to ration food, and how hard life was for families.

She recalls babysitting for Lord Rathdonnell in the estate at Lisnavagh in Carlow and she later worked in the kitchens at St Columba’s College, Whitechurch, Dublin, where she received was a cook. She also worked part time in the Red Cross.

She met her late husband Mick, a Wicklow man, at a dance in Carlow. Mick worked cutting timber and travelled around Ireland for his job. It later brought them to the midlands and they agreed to settle in Delvin in 1958, where they raised their family. Mick passed away after a short illness in 1984.

Margaret is a mother of four, Margaret, Judy, Kathleen and Patrick, a grandmother to eight and great-grandmother to 12 – and another is on the way.

She also worked as a housekeeper and cook for Fr Carey in the parochial house in Delvin.

During summer and winter holidays, Margaret, Mick and the children would travel to Carlow and Wicklow to visit relatives. Margaret still loves to make an annual trip to Carlow to take flowers to her parents’ grave.

At 100 years of age, Margaret is an independent lady and cooks her dinner every day and still enjoys baking the odd cake. One of her pastimes until a few years ago was to go to bingo on the local buses – she went up to seven nights a week. Although she does not go to bingo now, she still enjoys playing telly bingo from the comfort of home.

She is a keen GAA supporter and loves to follow the games on TV. She also has a strong faith.

She loves hearing from all her family and grandchildren and great grandchildren and listening to the stories that they tell, while also telling them stories from her childhood and years passed.

Margaret is the oldest resident in Delvin and a proud moment in her life was being asked to be grand marshal for the Devlin St Patrick’s parade in March 2015, when she was 95. She led the parade through the town in an open top car.

Margaret has been blessed with a relatively healthy life in her 100 years and looks forward to more ahead.

“I would like to thank everyone in the Delvin community, neighbours, family, friends and well wishers living near and far, for all their good wishes, cards and phone calls and hope they all stay well and healthy during this pandemic,” said Margaret.