Centenarian Neighbors Celebrate 100th Birthdays Together

Margaret McRory and Elizabeth McKillion share a unique bond. Both women spent the majority of their lives growing up and residing as neighbors in Galbally, a village in County Tyrone. They are known for their sharp wit and, remarkably, have both recently reached the age of 100. “It’s nice surely to share such a big birthday with someone, especially a neighbour,” Margaret McRory stated. Margaret, the sixth of 12 children, was brought up in Cappagh, County Tyrone. She recalled her schooling: “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.” Among Margaret’s most cherished accomplishments is her expanding family, which presently includes 29 grandchildren and 47 great-grandchildren. The centenarian mentioned her preference for staying active, having dedicated a significant portion of her life to raising her substantial family and assisting on the family farm. She further commented: “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.” A short distance from Margaret’s residence in Galbally, Elizabeth Hagan brought up her family. A twin and the eldest among her siblings, she first attended school in Castlecaulfied. Lizzy, as she is affectionately called by her family and friends, cherishes her recollections of those school years. Lizzy recounted: “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.” She continued: “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.” According to the Northern Ireland Statistical Research Agency (NISRA), as of June last year, 290 individuals aged 100 or older were recorded living in Northern Ireland, with most being female. However, Lizzy expressed little concern about reaching this significant age, believing that age is merely a number. She remarked: “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 festivities for both women have extended over several weeks. These celebrations featured a visit from the chair of Mid Ulster Council, who presented them with flowers, alongside receiving letters from King Charles and the Irish President, Michael D Higgins, commemorating the event. Nevertheless, last week, Tyrone’s newest centenarians finally shared their celebration when Lizzy, accompanied by both their families, visited Margaret at her residence. Margaret expressed her joy at seeing Lizzy in person, noting that her home had historically functioned as a “Céilí House” where friends and neighbors were always welcome. She further explained: “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.” During their shared celebration, surrounded by friends and family, both women were questioned about the key to achieving the remarkable age of 100. Margaret replied: “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 contributed: “Just keep quiet and keep the head up.”