Search
22 Apr 2026
Search
22 Apr 2026
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
Paddy Claffey who celebrated his 105th birthday pictured about to cut his cake while holding the special commemorative coin he received from President Catherine Connolly. Pic: Rose Mannion
IRELAND'S oldest man, Paddy Claffey who resides on the border between Ferbane and Cloghan, celebrated his 105th birthday on Friday last in his home in Noggus with his family. relatives, neighbours and friends who dropped in throughout the day to wish him well.
Paddy was born in Noggusboy, Ferbane, on April 17th, 1921, three months before the end of Ireland’s War of Independence. His parents were Sarah (Flaherty) of Gallen and Kieran Claffey, Noggus. Paddy was the youngest of ten children. He had six sisters – Maryann, Maggie, Kit, Ellen, Jane and Sarah – and three brothers – Ned, Kieran, who died a young man, and Johnny who died at birth.
Although a little under the weather last Friday and disappointed that he picked up a nasty chest infection, Paddy is in good health usually. His mind is 100 per cent although his hearing is not great. He is lucky that he has a good appetite and a wonderful family, who tend to his every need.
He’s still going strong though and looking forward to the fine weather when he can get back out driving about on the quad, helping with making the hay and saving the turf.
READ NEXT: Slieve Bloom Walking Festival celebrates 30 years with series of walks in Offaly and Laois
On St Patrick’s Day last March, he was named Grand Marshal for the Clara St Patrick's Day parade and over Easter he attended a wedding and was one of the last to leave that night he revealed.
He loves socialising, getting out and meeting people, having the chat, telling stories and of course having a good laugh. He also loves attending the social dancing in Cloghan Hall but hasn’t been able to attend the last few because of the chest infection but he said he will get back to the dancing as soon as he’s feeling up to it.
Paddy loves storytelling and last Friday was no different as he recalled story after story and all the mischief he and his friends got up to when he was a younger man and there’s still a bit of that mischief in his eyes!
It was in January of this year that he was officially pronounced Ireland's oldest man.
READ NEXT: Offaly school students to feature in new quiz show to be screened on TG4
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
