John, 104, lived a truly remarkable life
Over the years, John's family grew to include 16 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren.
As we mark what would have been the 105th birthday of John McNulty, who passed away on St Patrick's Day, March 17, 2026, aged 104, it seems a fitting time to look back on a remarkable life, one filled with hard work, family, friendship and more than a little good humour.
Not many people have the privilege of living to 104, witnessing over a century of change, and fewer still manage to do so with the quiet contentment, sharp mind and gentle smile that John carried throughout his life.
Born on October 25, 1921, in Treenrevagh, Kilasser, Swinford to James and Kate McNulty, John grew up in a generation that knew the value of hard work. From the family farm in Mayo to the farms around Peterborough in England during the Second World War, he was never a man who knew how to be idle. Such were his fond memories of those early working years that he returned to visit the English farms in his early nineties, some seventy years after first setting foot on them.
Returning to Ireland in 1952, John married the love of his life, Ada, in 1953, and together they made their home in Cullen, Foxford. John was a devoted father to four daughters, Carmel, Eileen, Rena and Angela. Carmel and Eileen were Ada's daughters from her first marriage to Tom McNulty, who sadly died at a young age. John welcomed the two young girls into his life and raised them as his own. When Rena and Angela came along, the family was complete. There were never any distinctions, just four daughters who were equally loved and cherished.
The loss of his beloved Ada in 1998 left a great void in his life. Yet, with the love and support of his family, particularly those living close by, he continued to enjoy the everyday pleasures that meant so much to him. He remained interested in farming, in his family and in the lives of those around him.
Over the years, that family grew to include 16 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren, all of whom brought him enormous pride and happiness. For John, family was everything, and his greatest legacy is undoubtedly the generations who followed him.
John, or John Mac as he was affectionately known, was well known throughout the locality for his work with the threshing machine, travelling from farm to farm and making many lifelong friendships along the way. In his younger years, he was a member of the F.C.A., enjoyed a game of darts and occasionally played the accordion and drums at dances in Cullen Hall.
He was a man of simple pleasures and well-established routines. His Friday trips to Swinford were something of a weekly institution. There was the pension to collect, a bit of shopping to do, a visit to the bookies to "study the form", and, naturally, a stop in for "one" and a chat. John was a firm believer in moderation in all things, and perhaps there was something in that philosophy, given the extraordinary age he reached.
He was never a man for unnecessary fuss or too many words, but when he spoke, there was usually plenty of sense in what he had to say. He had a wonderful ability to take life as it came, with gratitude, good humour and a quiet acceptance of whatever lay ahead.
One of his favourite replies when asked how he was keeping was, "I'm only waiting for the call!" It became something of a trademark expression, delivered with that familiar smile. Yet, despite hearing it for so many years, when that call finally came, none of us were quite ready.
John also had a wonderful sense of adventure. He embraced family holidays, enjoyed meeting new people and made friends wherever he went. Age never seemed to dampen his enthusiasm for life or his interest in the world around him.
John belonged to a generation whose values were rooted in hard work, kindness, loyalty and community. He lived through extraordinary times, saw the world change beyond recognition, yet remained remarkably unchanged himself: humble, content, welcoming and always grateful for what he had.
As we remember him on what would have been his 105th birthday, we do so with sadness at his absence, but also with immense gratitude and pride. There is comfort in knowing that, after so many years apart, he is reunited with Ada once again.
A life of 104 years is remarkable in itself, but it is not the number of years that defines a person. It is the kindness they show, the love they give and the memories they leave behind.
John McNulty left us all of those in abundance.
Happy 105th birthday, Grandad. You may no longer be here to celebrate with us, but you have given us more than a century of memories, stories and love to treasure.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
