Remarkable Offaly woman celebrates her 106th birthday

COOLDERRY'S centenarian Eileen Hynes, celebrated her 106th birthday on Thursday last December 15 in her home, where she resides, and with members of her large extended family in attendance.

Neighbours, family friends and family themselves were calling to the house throughout the week and on Thursday the traffic got a little heavier, but Eileen was taking it all in her stride and couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about.

Eileen has a very sharp memory for her years, and can go right back to the time when she was a very young girl growing up in Moneygall. Eileen Jones was born and raised in Cullenwaine. She was born on December 15, 1916 and was the youngest of six in the family. She attended school locally and secured her first job in the Post Office in Moneygall. She also did relief work in other surrounding post offices whenever the need arose.

Romance blossomed for Eileen when she attended a house party in her cousin’s house and was introduced to her future husband. They courted for a couple of years and in 1939 when Eileen was 23 years old, they got married and she moved with her new husband to Coolderry.

She had to give up her work in the post office back then but there was “plenty of work to be done not just inside the house, but outside on the farm too” said Eileen. They went on to raise a family of ten children who are all healthy and happy, said Eileen.

“There was plenty of hardship,” she recalls. “Men worked for One Pound a week then and that was good money,” she said. “I had to bring water 200 or 300 yards from the river, boil it in a pot over the open fire to wash the clothes in a big tub on the middle of the floor,” said Eileen.

“Times were very hard back then but everyone was the same. There was no electricity or running water and we used a wash board in the tub,” she said. Transport was a pony and trap and the trusted bicycle “but we couldn’t get tyres for the bicycle’s during the war” she recalled. “The children did their lessons with the light of a candle” said Eileen.

When electricity arrived in the late 1950’s and throughout the 1960’s, life became a little bit easier as Eileen then was able to buy a washing machine and a fridge was to arrive at a later stage. While talking, Eileen mentions “we trusted in God” throughout her conversation which proves how strong her Faith was to her and her family, and how important it is to her to this day as she still attends Mass every Sunday.

Eileen recalls travelling to Knock every year but she has never been on an aeroplane and didn’t seem too put out about that either. “There wasn’t time to go anywhere or do anything with ten children” she said. “I knitted for the children and I was sewing their clothes when I had time”.

Eileen has witnessed many changes throughout her long life and not just in the world, but in Coolderry too, another fact of life she is taking all in her stride. When one considers, Eileen has witnessed all nine Irish Presidents in office, it is without doubt quiet remarkable. Despite all the hardships she has endured, Eileen says she has no regrets and would do it all over again.

The eleventh oldest resident in Ireland is surrounded and pampered by a loving family of ten children and thirty grandchildren. She had thirty five great-grandchildren but sadly she recalls three have passed away, and she even has four great-great grandchildren.

These days Eileen puts down her day by sitting by the fire and reading. If she can’t get out for a walk because of the cold weather, she says she “get’s a bit stiff”. She reads the Midland Tribune every week and is particularly looking forward to this week’s edition, and she reads two and three papers every day to keep her up to date with everything that is happening in the world.

As for what she credits her longevity to, Eileen has no hesitation about the answer, “hard work and no smoking or drinking” she said promptly.