Still young at heart - Roly Harron celebrates 90th birthday
Popular Laghey man worked in the Donegal Democrat for over 30 years, and was also a popular member of staff at Kee's of Laghey
Roly Harron from Laghey celebrated a very special birthday last Saturday when he reached ninety years young. Nonagenarian in fact, but as he would say, just keep it simple, 90!
For those that have had the pleasure of working with him over the years, Roly was a gentleman, with a quick wit to match his many different skill sets.
Much of his working life was spent in the surroundings of the Donegal Democrat newspaper in Ballyshannon, first on Tirconaill Street and later out the Donegal Road, and he was a man that you could always count on, if the chips were down.
Joining him last weekend were two of his old buddies for his birthday celebrations, from those old print works days, Sean Keenaghan and Denis McGuinness.
Roly pictured with his wife Helen
His early memories are going to school in his bare feet and his teacher was Ms Morrow.
He says that there was no heat in the school and so he would bring a bag of turf for the fire.
As with many of his generation, he left school education early by today’s standards, at the age of just fourteen.
His first job was at Flood’s garage in Donegal Town, but as he says himself, he would never have been a mechanic.
He then left to work in Coventry, England, but returned after a year. On his return he started his employment at Dunleavy’s Printing Works. He loved his job in the printing trade that was based in Donegal Town and remained there until the company closed.
He had married his good wife Helen on her 21st birthday in June of 1956 and they have since shared a happy marriage of 66 years.
Dancing
A man of strong faith, he started the dancing in the Orange Hall in Laghey, where some of the top bands in the country entertained there for the best part of a decade, with the proceeds going towards the upkeep of the hall.
Roly joined the staff of the Donegal Democrat in 1972. He enthusiastically took to the new technologies that were emerging at the time and was the first to train on what was the new computer typing.
He was to also become one of the best, when it came to and embracing such technology.
Roly continued to work for the Democrat for the following 30 years until his retirement at the age of 65.
But Roly was to later continue working in his new position at Kee’s of Laghey and along with neighbours and friends, a big welcome was always on hand for any of his Democrat buddies who happened to call in for a fill of petrol or diesel.
Roly was always very much into sports in his more active days - squash, running, handball and especially badminton, reaching a very high standard, and was a regular tournament winner in Laghey and Raphoe.
Even after retirement Roly was keen to remain active and he took up cycling, averaging about ten miles a day for the following decade.