Healthy eating, no worrying and lots of smiles - Margaret's secret to a long life

Keenagh woman Margaret Barrett celebrated her 100th birthday on November 18th last. 

Margaret, from Gowlaun, Keenagh, now part of the Wild Nephin National Park, is the youngest child of Margaret Walsh (nee Gillespie, Derra) and Patrick Walsh, Gowlaun. She had five siblings, Bridget, Edward, Mary, Norah and Michael and their father died suddenly in May 1926 when he suffered a fall from a horse while on his way to Crossmolina. The six children were all under the age of 10.

In an era when there was no state support for widows, the oldest boy Edward helped other neighbours with their farm work by going out on hire with the horse, and in turn neighbours helped the Walshs. Money was very scarce but every household had their own milk, vegetables, fowl, and sheep. The sheep's wool was spun to make thread to knit jumpers. No shoes were worn; children went about in their bare feet. 

The school was four miles from the village of Gowlaun. Margaret started school in 1932 and at that time there was a horse and van bringing the children to school. Two of her older sisters Mary (Molly) and Norah emigrated to England. They sent home money to support Margaret, her brothers and mother. Margaret’s first bicycle came from England.

Margaret loved school and learning but school was very different back then. The school was a one-room stone building with a fireplace at one end. The teachers were Master and Mrs Cafferkey, and later Miss Madge Cafferkey. Margaret loved spelling in both Irish and English and prided herself in the fact she never got one wrong. The reward was getting to the fire on a cold day. Her biggest regret from primary school was she never got the opportunity to do the exam to become a primary schoolteacher. 

By the time Margaret finished primary school, World War II was on. While the rural west may not have been as affected as other parts, she remembers the ration books, for tea, sugar, and flour. To this day, the shopping list must have tea, sugar and flour!

Margaret stayed at home with her mum and brother Edward, farming during those bleak years. Her mother was the local midwife and was often called up to attend home births locally. Rural electrification was another huge milestone in Margaret's life, bringing with it all the mod cons.

Margaret loved style and was lucky to have her older sisters to send beautiful dresses to her from England, and she wore them well. She went to work in Sweeney's of Cashel, Achill Island in the early 1950s and to this day she has friends that she met when she was working in Sweeney's.

She met the love of her life Mike Barrett from Coolnabinna, Keenagh, at a dance in Glenhest Hall. He was a good dancer and had a car and that was a big bonus. They married in 1961 and moved into ‘The Barracks’ in Coolnabinna, a house with a great history. Built in the 1850s by Sir Roger William Henry Palmer, the barracks is said to have been built as a summer hunting lodge for Palmer's wife but she didn’t like it. Sometime in the 1880s, the Royal Irish Constabulary acquired Coolnabinna Lodge and turned it into a barracks. After the RIC departed in the early 1920s, the barracks went into disrepair before Dominic and Bridget Corcoran moved into it and ran a general provisions shop from the 1930s until the late 1950s when they left for Meath.

Mike and Margaret purchased the house in 1961, and Margaret with her retail experience continued to run a general provisions store and newsagents until the late 1960s. She recalls selling sweets and cigarettes before dances in Letterbrick National School and sold the Western People until 2013. She continued to receive a copy of the Western by post up to two years ago and now reads it in her new home - Sonas Moy Ridge Nursing Home.

Margaret settled into community life in Keenagh, and she and her good friend Della Lydon, RIP, among others spearheaded children’s Christmas parties and senior citizens' parties in Keenagh Community Centre.

A woman of great tenacity and generous in spirit, Margaret never worried a day in her life and always relied on her Catholic faith to get her through hard times.

She loved having people call to visit with her and liked nothing better than throwing together a lovely meal with her delicious home-baked brown bread. Margaret attributes her long life to healthy eating and healthy lifestyle and not worrying, always smiling and being good natured.

Margaret and Mike had one daughter, Geraldine, and one of Margaret’s proudest days was when she gained her son-in-law Padraic Walsh, who had to be a winner with the surname Walsh! The arrival of Michael and James made Margaret the proudest grandmother. A lady of courage, resilience, laughter, style, panache and grace, Margaret is wished a very happy 100th birthday by her family, neighbours and many friends.