Noreen celebrates 100th birthday at ‘The Irish House’

SITUATED in Cahirsiveen’s main street is an impressive shop front with the name ‘An Tig Gaedhaelac’ boldly inscribed.

The premises, now no longer open to the public, was a long-established drapery shop of high repute which was renowned for fine tweeds and high-quality clothing.

During the course of the War of Independence, the premises suffered the misfortune of being burned to the ground by the notorious Black and Tans as a result of the proprietor not changing the title of the shop to an English translation.

The burning occurred at the beginning of the 1920s.

The O’Connell family of Cahirsiveen operated the shop.

Down through the years, the premises was always referred to locally as ‘the Irish House’.

The place was run in later years by Kathleen O’Connell and her sister-in-law, Noreen.

Noreen’s husband, Owen O’Connell, passed away in the ‘60s.

A member of the O’Connell family married Toddy O’Sullivan, one-time manager of the Gresham Hotel in Dublin, with the O’Connells also being associated with the Railway Hotel in Cahirsiveen.

Kathleen passed away many years ago.

Noreen celebrated her 100th birthday on Saturday, January 26, and continues to get out and about.

On the day of her birthday, she celebrated by sharing a glass of wine and some refreshments with a number of family and friends at her home, ‘The Irish House’.

Congratulations to her.