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THE OLDEST WOMAN in Ireland, Bridget Tierney, has died at the age of 108.
Mrs Tierney, of Drumgore, Loughduff, Co Cavan died yesterday “peacefully in the tender care of her very devoted family, in her 109th year”.
She lived through two world wars and three pandemics and was the second oldest woman in Ireland up last month when 109 year old Kitty Jeffery, a native of Grenville in Co Cork, passed away at Cork University Hospital.
Bridget celebrated her 108th birthday on 5 July 2023.
At the time, her son Tom told the Anglo Celt newspaper that her longevity could be attributed to a life time of “hard work”.
He said that his mother was “happy as Larry” once she had her children around her. Tom stressed that his mother wasn’t one for sitting on her laurels.
Bridget raised nine children while working on the family farm tending to cattle, pigs and hens.
Tom (73) told the paper that 1952 was a very bad year with no turf to be got for the family home.
His father, Patrick, who was employed in the local mill, would bring home two bags of seeds, which his mother heated to bake soda bread in.
“That’s how tough times were,” he said, explaining “the weather was very bad and there was no turf got in the bog”.
Among her hobbies was reminiscing and reciting poetry, her favourite of which was A Noble Boy, written by Mary Dow Brine in 1878.
Tom described his mother as a “little bopping angel” who never spent a day sick in bed in the course of her long life.
Bridget was taken care of in her home. Her daily routine was to wake to “a good mug of tea” which Tom brought to her bedroom.
She generally asked her son is “what sort of a day is it?” followed by “what have you lined out for the day?”.
At 11am, it was time for porridge followed by tea and toast and then she started to pray.
Tom said her routine was to sit beside her window, on the outside of which are several doves which Bridget counted daily.
“There’s not as many there as there were yesterday,” she often told her son.
“This would go on until dinner time,” he said, explaining “that’s the way the day goes for her”.
Bridget was predeceased by her husband Patrick, son Vincent, daughter Patricia, her brothers James and Sonny, her sister Elizabeth and her brother-in-law Joe.
Mrs Tierney is survived by her daughters Mary, Margaret, Pauline, Betty and Kitty, her sons John and Tom, her sister Kathleen and her sons and daughters-in-law. She also is fondly remembered by her 30 grandchildren, 49 great grandchildren, and four great great grandchildren.
Bridget will repose at her home in Drumgore today from 5pm to 10pm and tomorrow from 1pm to 4.30pm. Her removal will follow to St Joseph’s Church in Loughduff to arrive for 8pm.
Her requiem mass will take place at noon on Saturday with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.
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The wisdom of age. Thanks for the story.
RIP and sounded like a great character.
Reminds me of the horror stories my older siblings would tell of life in this country in the 50s.
We should never forget what our parents and grandparents went through in those days so we can live the lives we live today.
@Stanley Marsh: Oh this 100%. It’s so easy to take the things we have for granted. Even in my lifetime Ireland is barely recognisable from the dreary oppressive second world country it was when I was a kid. Still lots of issues to sort of course but the changes have been seismic.
@Stanley Marsh: Certainly true of Bridget’s hard working generation. I’m not so sure about the boomer generation that followed or that younger generations will thank them for what they’re leaving behind.
Wow 108! The changes in society, attitudes, politics and technology she witnessed in her lifetime. Incredible. RIP Bridget.
@SerotoninWars: Think of it. To go from maybe using a donkey or pony, to seeing cars become common, to see stringbag single or twin seater aircraft develop into airliners crossing the Atlantic that we all can take, to see mankind set foot on the moon, to see the telegram become email, to be present – if not aware – for the fall of empires, and the birth of this nation, to see the fall of the British Empire and the rise of the US Empire, and the glimmer of hope for russia squished by the Oligarchs and Putin,…
To see advances in medicine, where people don’t die from a simple cut, where smallpox has been eradicated, and so many other deadly and debilitating diseases almost so. To see lifespan increase from about 54 years when she was born to about 82 years now, and her own 108.
She had seen mankind come a long, long way, and at an accelerating rate.
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: Absolutely and very well put. Imagine showing her a smartphone when she was a kid! There’s the famous Arthur C. Clarke quote, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”. Bridget had a range of experiences and witnessed a level of change that few humans get to see in their lifetime.
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: it hard to say whether any century in the future will see such a advancements in living and lifestyle as the 1900 to the 2000.
Aww may Bridget rest in eternal peace. Look at her hearty smile in that photo. A life well lived and a lovely family to give her a fitting send off.
What a life. God Bless
Bridget brought life to some many. God Bless her. Condolences to her large family.
Lived through the 1916 Rising and would of been alive when survivors of the famine were still alive.
Wow, I wonder how old her sister Kathleen is now? Is it genetic or something from their lifestyles?
She got to live a long life unlike so many people in the world.
The IDF are absolutely demonic.
The oldest woman never dies!
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