100-year-old wants ‘a few more years’

A Westmeath native has celebrated her 100th birthday wishing for a "few more years" to achieve a few more things.

Maire Tschabold-O’Donoghue was born on May 25, 1923 in Gainstown, Mullingar, the second of six siblings. She attended Gainstown National School in her early years. Her parents bought 42 Mount Street, Mullingar, the Gun Shop, and remained there until they sold it and moved to Galway. The premises is now the Golden Hill Chinese takeaway and a barber shop.

Maire celebrated her birthday in Salthill Hotel, Galway with her son Brendan, wife Irene and grandson Sean, her sister-in-law Lidia, and many nieces, nephews and cousins from all over the Country.

Maire has lived through the terms of all nine presidents of Ireland, World War 11, the years of the Troubles, The Good Friday Agreement, the Celtic Tiger and everything in between.

She studied nursing in London and lived abroad for many years. She married Ludwig Tschabold, a Swiss man, two years after meeting him, and had one son Brendan, who still lives in Switzerland.

When her husband died, 20 years ago, Maire decided to come back to Ireland, to Knocknacranna, where they already had bought a house, and where she has lived ever since.

Despite a few hearing and walking difficulties, she is still in good health, and living on her own.

Her secret for long life is to have a drop of Jameson whiskey every evening, and sour rather than sweet food.

She hopes that the War in Ukraine will soon be over there is nothing to be gained by it. Everyone loses at war and the war at the moment is very wrong, she says.