Neighbours celebrate their 100th birthday together

Margaret McRory and Elizabeth McKillion have more in common than most.

They both grew up and have been neighbours for most their lives in the County Tyrone village of Galbally.

They share a wicked sense of humour and, most notably, they both just turned 100 years old.

“It’s nice surely to share such a big birthday with someone, especially a neighbour”, said Margaret McRory.

Margaret was raised in Cappagh in County Tyrone and was the sixth of 12 children.

She said: “It’s a long time ago now, but I went to a school beside Cappagh village.

“Back then you were taught practical things, we learned how to sew, how to knit, how to wash clothes, by the time we left school, we could do it all.”

One of Margaret’s proudest achievements is her ever-growing family; she currently has 29 grandchildren and 47 great-grandchildren.

The centenarian said she likes to keep busy.

She spent much of her time raising her large family while also helping out on her family farm.

She added: “Back then, they were simpler times surely. At home you had the turf fire always on the go and the pot and a pan on a crook over the fire, for boiling your spuds.

“And it was good enough for all of us, even the animals – the hen, the pigs, the whole lot, we all lived on spuds.”

Just a few fields away from Maraget’s home in Galbally, is where Elizabeth Hagan raised her family.

A twin and the eldest of all her siblings, she initially went to school in Castlecaulfied.

Lizzy, as she is known to family and friends, has fond memories of those school days.

“My school was just a short distance from the grounds of an old castle. It was a good place for me and my brother to hide the odd time instead of school”, Lizzy said.

She added: “One time word came to my daddy and he wanted to know why weren’t at school and were climbing the walls of the castle.

“I told him I was only there to try and get my brother down because he was stuck, and my brother scolded me about it and I just laughed.”

As of June last year the Northern Ireland Statistical Research Agency (NISRA) had a record of 290 people aged 100 and over living Northern Ireland, the majority being female.

But Lizzy said she isn’t too worried about the milestone and believes age is only a number.

She said: “To be honest, I knew had a birthday coming up but I didn’t even know it was 100 until someone pointed it out when they saw all my cards.

“I just laughed and said I thought someone had made a mistake and must have counted wrong.”

The birthday celebrations for both women have lasted weeks.

It has included the chair of mid ulster council paying them both a visit to present them with flowers, as well as letters from King Charles and the Irish President, Michael D Higgins, to mark the occasion

But last week Tyrone’s newest centenarians finally got to celebrate the occasion together when Lizzy visited Margaret at her home with both of their families.

Margaret said she was delighted to see Lizzie in person because her home had always been a “Céilí House” where friends and neighbours would always visit.

She added: “Young people these days don’t know what to ‘go on your Céilí’ means’- you’d go to someone’s house and you could be there chatting all night.

“When I was young there were a few ‘aul boys’ that used to come to our house, sitting around the fire telling fairy stories, they would have stayed all night if you didn’t chase them.”

While surrounded by friends and family at their joint party, both women were asked about the secret to reaching the grand age of 100.

Margaret responded: “Plenty of hard work, any amount of it, just live a good life and do whatever work you have to do, don’t sit in the corner and look at it.”

Lizzy added: “Just keep quiet and keep the head up.”