By Tommy Curran
Congratulations to Annie McCaul from Meenacuing, Gaoth Dobhair, who celebrated her 100th birthday at the weekend.
A big party, attended by family, friends and Fr. Brian Ó Fearraigh was organised in her honour in An Chuirt Hotel, which continued until the wee hours with a sing-song.
Annie, whose maiden name is McDermott, was born in Co Sligo into a family of five children and was raised in a five bedroom farmhouse on a 100 acre farm.
After school she trained at the Leinster School of Music and achieved a 1st Class Honours Certificate in piano. She also learned the skill of dressmaking and even made many of her children’s clothes.
Her first job was in hospitality at her uncle’s bar in Collooney, Sligo – M J O’Connor Bar – which she ran for eight years, and it was said to be one of the best bars in the West of Ireland.
Annie, a former Carnival Queen of Collooney, met her husband, former army captain Eddie McCaul from Kincasslagh, when he was working on the Rural Electrification Scheme covering the North West of Ireland.
Annie and her husband Eddie pictured on their wedding day in 1951. This was originally a black and white photo.
They were married in 1951 and had three children, Peter, Declan and Conor.
They moved to Meenacuing in 1959, where she still happily resides, when Eddie started working for the ESB at Gaoth Dobhair Turf Burning Station,
Here she learned her cúpla focail by attending adult Irish classes in Bunbeg National School with the renowned local teacher, Johnny McGinley.
From then on she developed a great circle of local friends from Letterkenny, Termon, Falcarragh, Gaoth Dobhair and the Rosses.
After her three children finished school she continued working in hospitality as a waitress in Ostán Ghaoth Dobhair, where she made many new friends, served a few celebrities like John Hume, Phil Coulter, and many well-known local famous musicians.
She is also a lifelong hand knitter of Aran Cardigans for the American market. After her husband Eddie passed away in 1997, Annie continued keeping socially active, travelling to Sligo, Dublin and County Clare, enjoying keeping in touch with her three children and four grandchildren.
Annie likes maintaining her home and this year completed a house extension, which she is looking forward to enjoying for foreseeable future.
She is a regular church attendee at Dunlewey Chapel and Derrybeg Chapel, and is well known to the local clergy.
She has a kind and social nature and always took time to regularly visit anyone who was sick or unwell, as well as making sure to attend any local wake or funeral.
Annie would like to thank all the well-wishers who sent her over 100 amazing birthday cards, all the Facebook messages, all the people who travelled to her party from as far away as Dubai, and local house visits which made it her best birthday ever.
Annie attributes her longevity to her positive outlook, strong family, community values, great neighbours and her religious faith.
Breithla Shona duit á Annie agus go mbeirimid beo ag an am seo arís.
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