Ireland’s oldest citizen, Elizabeth ( 108) passes away
IRELAND’S oldest citizen, Elizabeth Gallagher of Ballintrillick, has passed away at 108 years.
The Moneygold native died peacefully surrounded by her family at the home of her son Hugh and daughter- in- law Brigid Gallagher shortly after 7pm on Saturday evening.
Elizabeth had featured in the ‘ Down Memory Lane’ supplement published by The Sligo Champion last January. In her lively interview she shared precious memories of her childhood in North Sligo.
She was one of five children born to Francis and Bridget Rooney in Moneygold in September 1908. “I was reared on the farm and worked on the farm. I was well used to hard work, it wasn’t easy,” she said.
Elizabeth even remembered an old IRA ambush of four Royal Irish Constabulary ( RIC) policemen during the time of the notorious Black and Tans in 1920. “It was shocking. The army came for the policemen and put the three dead men into the lorry,” she recalled.
She admitted she never thought she’d reach the grand old age of 108 and said her secret to a long life was simply “hard work” on the family farm, “happy as could be.”
Elizabeth went on to have three children of her own, ten grandchilden and eleven great- grandchildren, with another due any day. Her fu- neral mass takes place today ( Tuesday) at St Brigid’s Church, Ballintrillick at 11am with burial afterwards in Keelogue’s Cemetery, Ballintrillick.