Roscommon centenarian Eileen Cox ‘an inspiration’ as she celebrates 100th birthday

Now a centenarian, the hardy Eileen Cox, nee O’Connor, attributes her strength and determination to her belief in the sacred heart.

Born on April 17, 1924, Eileen was the youngest child of Martin and Ellen Conlon, Leam, Boyle.

It was Holy Thursday 1924 when Eileen was born, and sadly her mother died on Holy Saturday, while her twin brother passed away two weeks after birth.

“I never saw my mother,” Eileen said.

“My father looked after me and my siblings, Jimmy, Peter and Margaret in our home in Leam.

“He often spent long days at the fair. Peter helped my father to look after us, he was six years older than me. Both Jimmy and Peter stayed with my father all the time.”

Eileen had a hard life, particularly in her younger years.

She cooked dinner from the age of 10, and baked bread everyday too.

She spent a lot of her youth in Newtown, Cootehall with her Aunt Mrs Conlon who was married to Johnny Conlon.

Eileen remembers fondly the kindness of the Conlon family.

She often met with the Conlons for a coffee in Boyle in later years, and has never forgotten their generosity towards her.

“Working in the kitchen at 10 years with Mrs Carthy, Devanney, John P Carthy’s wife used to play music. She was like a mother to me. She was a hard woman.”

Eileen worked hard on the farm, with all food collected from their own land.

The family were self sufficient, but it was hard work.

“We farmed the land, reared cattle, pigs, we were self-sufficient. All our foods were from our land.

“The potatoes, meats, the flour, breads. All healthy foods – straight from the farm.

“We killed a pig every year. We had about 35 acres and daily chores to tend to, milking the cows and looking after the rest, sheep, pigs, cats, dogs, hens so we had eggs, meat, flour for the cake/soda breads from the 10 stone bag of flour.

“We carried water from the well. Sowed the land, there was plenty of hard work, we had a horse, reared the turf.

“Dad or my brother used the sleán to cut the turf, we paraded with the barrows to catch, wheel and spread the turf. The horse and cart, Pony and Trap, vehicle used for transporting people and everything else: turf to shed, flour, mill to the home, oats and barley to the mill, people to markets. The trasher came.”

She attended Boyle National school until the age of 14, which was normal back then.

Eileen and her family relished the special times and the occasions like Christmas and Easter.

“We had a goose or turkey in the pot over the open fire, a country dance them times, not many on holidays, we had the Wren boys on Stephens day / Boxing day and that was good music and bad. We enjoyed good healthy food.

“We cycled or walked three miles to and from the church in Boyle, crossed fields regardless of the weather – for Sodality, confession, mass, every month, and attended the Mission which lasted for one week, one week for men and one week for women and children.

“Confessions were also on different nights for different gender.

“Now they have cars and don’t go to mass, they can watch on TV in their home but the don’t believe.

“They don’t understand, they don’t go. Well I believe and I thank God.”

Eileen remembers the big storm in the 1940s, which saw the roof blown off the church in Boyle.

“That was frightening, it was the worst wind storm I ever seen, I never want to see that again, the wind was that strong it lifted a cock of hay up into the air. Did terrible harm in the area.”

And, she lived through the big snow of 1947 that lasted for weeks.

“Boyle was a great town that time, great commercial town. Great people, tough people. Fair days on market square every Saturday, I used to be sent over now and again, my father often went, he’d spend the day in town, sell a few cattle, and head to Kielys pub across the road, there was Heaneys and the Rosary Beads.

“There were two big hotels, the Royal Hotel on the banks of the river and The Princess Hotel.

“And I remember my Dad brought me into the Drapers shop for a coat – Peter Feirne and he used to sell ice-cream. Murrandia’s had a shop as well.”

Eileen met Corny Cormac Coz and got married, moving to Grangemore.

She was happy, and the couple worked hard on the farm, enjoyed music and going to dances together.

“I loved to cook and bake and I was good at it. A lovely neighbour Mrs Bridgie Fitzpatrick brought me to her house one night and showed me how to make a Christmas cake. I used to help her out and that’s where I learned.”

She enjoyed her visits to Fitzpatricks Pub near Castlerea, and Knock Shrine holds a special place in her heart.

“Knock is a lovely place to go – when I would go, I would do the stations of the cross outside, it would put me to thinking, how they could crucify Our Lord?

“There’s something in that place, well you know the young crowd don’t believe today, they don’t understand.”

Now each day after dinner she makes her way to the Oratory in the Plunkett Home to sit in front of the Sacred Heart picture she adores.

Eileen likes to watch TV, listen to the radio, take time to do a daily exercise workout, eat well.

One of her greatest talents is her ability to converse with people about her life, making you feel at ease, as she tells her life story, how she farmed, how she survived and involving the listener with the odd question.

Corny died in 2009, and Eileen continued to live at home until Covid struck in 2020 when she then moved to Plunkett Home.

Her sister Margaret was a nurse for years and also a nun with The Poor Servants of the Mother of God. She died at 95 years.

Her brother Jimmy got into bad health and died at 40 years.

Her brother Peter was a great tradesman and builder.

He built many roads. He finished up working with SISK in Cork and married a local, a school teacher.

Canon Mulligan always admired her brother Peter’s work, on Hanly Road, Boyle and always said he wanted Peter to do his grave which Peter did.

Eileen mentions with affection Paddy and Mary King, Mrs Brennan (Kearns) from the Grade School Road to Balinameen.

Peter’s daughter Mary Ni Brennock (Bhreathnach), Dublin visits Eileen quite often, as does Corny’s nephew Bertie.

But Eileen has many more friends who drop in on to pay her a visit, too.

Eileen speaks of her family, husband and friends with great love and affection.

The staff at Plunkett Home say she is an inspiration to everyone.

Fr Gerry Hanly gave Eileen a special Birthday Blessing on the day and Eileen told Fr Hanly although he is so much younger, she expects she will be around for his 100th celebrations.

The Director of Nursing at the Plunkett Nursing Home Seenamol Jose in her speech said: “Eileen is a great character and since last Christmas we’ve been so looking forward to the biggest Party event of the year for Eileen and seeing her friends.”