FAMILY and friends from around the world will gather on Arranmore this weekend to celebrate Bridget Ward’s remarkable 100th birthday.
The party, hosted at Ionad an Chrois Bhealaigh, the island’s community centre, will welcome guests from Canada, the United States, Scotland, the Isle of Wight, Spain and the mainland.
The centenarian, known for her sharp wit and youthful glow, is the first-born of eleven children.
Bridget grew up on Arranmore Island and at just 14 years old she boarded a cattle ship to Scotland, where she laboured tirelessly in the tattie fields.
She later moved to Glasgow to work in a factory, where she met Gaoth Dobhair man Oliver Gallagher at an Irish dance hall. A familiar love story for those forced to emigrate.
The pair married and raised five children, Maureen, Jim, Kathleen, John and Theresa in Glasgow.
In the 1980s, Bridget and Oliver returned to Arranmore to care for her aging parents.
Sadly, Oliver passed away in 1993, over 30 years ago.
Today, Bridget and her younger brother John live in the house where they grew up on the island.
Bridget’s daughters, Maureen and Theresa, who both live on the mainland, take turns staying with her on Arranmore.
Bridget pictured with the staff from Arranmore Day Centre.
Maureen, who is almost 75 years old and doesn’t look her age either, joked that the family’s longevity must run in their genes.
“I had an easy life, but my mother never did. So it’s got nothing to do with that. It’s just in the genes.”
Maureen spoke with pride of how her mother is highly respected and loved on the island, especially at the Arranmore Day Centre, where she attends twice a week.
On Tuesday afternoon the staff there hosted the first of two special birthday celebrations in Bridget’s honour. A large crowd attended and Bridget’s son John serenaded her with a moving song he wrote just for the occasion.
“I’m 100 per cent certain that going to the Day Centre twice a week has contributed to her well-being,” Maureen said.
“And if there is a secret – it is that kind of encouragement and positivity.”
Bridget is also known for sticking to a regular routine and maintaining her deep faith, two elements Maureen believes have played a significant role in her mother’s health and happiness.
In a thoughtful gesture, Bridget has requested no birthday presents. Instead, she plans to donate to two local charities on the island, including the Day Centre and the Community Centre, both of which she is extremely grateful to.
An open invitation has been extended to everyone to join Bridget Ward in celebrating her 100th birthday on January 17 at Ionad an Chrois Bhealaigh from 2pm to 6pm.
