Lorrha lady celebrates her 100th birthday in style

KATHLEEN Houlihan is a remarkable lady and she celebrated her 100th birthday in style on Saturday last. Although her actual birthday is not until this Wednesday October 19th, Kathleen laughs at the idea of having an early birthday party.

The sharpness of her intellect and memory is truly amazing, as she recalled her life with ease. Kathleen Marmion was born in Galtrim, Summerhill, Co. Meath in 1922, the 3rd eldest in a family of four boys and three girls. She attended school in the local village and then progressed to “lovely nuns” in the convent in Kells. “We had to walk four miles to school and back every day regardless of the weather,” recalls Kathleen.

When she left school Kathleen went to work in a drapery shop but that didn’t last long as she took ill and got pleurisy so had to spend some time in hospital. When she was fully recovered, she went to work for a Dr Glynn who was from Portumna in Co. Galway and she recalls that he was a lovely man to work for. “When Dr Glynn left and went back to Portumna to practice, he asked me would I go with him to work for him and I said I would,” said Kathleen.

Romance blossomed for Kathleen when she was settled in the Co. Galway town and it was at a ceili in Portumna Hall where she met her future husband, Tom Houlihan from nearby Lorrha. After about two years, they decided to go to England to get better paying jobs and save the money they needed to get married. “Money was hard to come by and we worked hard and saved as much as we could and we married in Basingstoke, England in 1954,” she said. They eventually left and returned to settle in Ballyquirke, Lorrha and ten years later they moved with their young family to their present home in St Ruadhan’s Terrace.

Herself and Tom loved dancing and attended ceili dances up and down the country over many years. They practiced on their own kitchen floor and won Provincial and All Ireland titles. “The last time we danced was in Donegal and we won a plaque that night too,” recalls Kathleen. Her home displays all the trophies and plaques they both won over the years for the ‘Lorrha Set’ among others.

“There was four of us, Tom and myself, Detty Turner and Johnny O’Meara and as the years went on we were joined by others. We also went to the Wren dancing in Woodford on St Stephen’s night as well as the Comhaltas in Lorrha hall on a Friday night at those times. They were great times,” she said.

A religious lady throughout her life, Kathleen was a member of the local church choir for a number of years as well as the Apostolic Work Society. Kathleen recalls travelling to Knock for the night vigils every year until recent times and she also talked about her visit to Lourdes and the times she visited Lough Derg and walking in her bare feet there. “That was hard but we just got on with it,” she said. These days, Kathleen attends Mass every Saturday evening and again on Monday mornings. She recites three Rosaries every day and prays for everyone. “All my family are very good to me, my grandchildren and my nieces and nephews,” she said.

Kathleen has witnessed many changes through her long life and not just in the world, but in Lorrha too. “It’s all for the good,” she commented. Although she remarked that she doesn’t like listening to the news these days “because it’s all bad news”, she still is very alert to what is happening in the world. After living through WW2 she ponders over the war in Ukraine and if it will lead to WW3. “I hate to see people suffering, especially children. I love children, they are so innocent and why should they be going hungry or getting killed,” she asked.

Kathleen is also very aware of the Covid-19 pandemic and mentioned how she was very lucky not to have got it. “I was afraid to go out and I don’t go out much now but I wear my mask when I’m out,” she said.

As for what she credits her longevity to, Kathleen thinks about that and then she pipes up, “I suppose it’s the dancing and the fitness,” she laughed.

St. Ruadhan’s Church was packed to capacity for her concelebrated Centenary Mass with Fr Michael Kennedy, PP Lusmagh and formerly Rathcabbin, assisted by Fr Pat Deely, Redwood, Fr Pat Mulcahy, former PP Lorrha, Fr Tom O’Halloran PP Borrisokane and Lorrha and Fr Michael Cooney PP Terryglass and Lorrha.