Ireland's Eye: What's going on in the old sod

Siblings Reunite

In what has been described as a one-in-a-million success story, a brother and sister, separated for over half a century, have finally been reunited thanks to chance discovery of a message on a Mohill website.

Desmond Beattie and Mary McGonigle were separated and raised by different families over 55 years ago.

Years later Desmond, who was born in 1947, began a search for relatives of his mother's family, Josephine Beattie, unaware that he had a younger sister still living in Leitrim.

In 2002, Desmond posted a message on Mohill town website www.mohill.com appealing for information on relatives of his mother, Josephine Beattie.

Although he received some details from his cousins, it was only when local woman Maura Mahon visited the site that he realized his younger sister, Mary, was living in the Ballinamore area.

"When I saw Desmond's message posted on the website I couldn't believe it," Maura admitted.

"I had been going to bingo with Mary in Cloone for a number of years and she'd told me how her mother was Josephine Beattie from Mohill."

After contacting Desmond, Mary and her long-lost brother were finally able to meet up for the first time in half a century last week. Sadly their mother, Josephine passed away in the early 1980s in England, but the siblings have enjoyed the chance to catch up on a lifetime of memories.

"I'm just delighted that this story has had such a happy ending. It was just by chance that I happened to be on that website but I'm glad I was able to help," said Maura.
- Leitrim Observer
 
Oldie But Goody

The pffice of President Mary McAleese has confirmed that O’Callaghan’s Mills man Paddy Gleeson, who celebrated his 106th birthday on May 20, is Ireland’s oldest man.

Gleeson, who resides at Raheen Community Hospital in Tuamgraney, ranks seventh, however, among Ireland’s oldest people, with six women ahead of him on the list, the eldest of whom is 108.

Gleeson now boasts six presidential medals for each birthday he has celebrated since turning 100 in 2004.

He moved to Raheen Community Hospital in 2006 but lived independently there in Knockatullish until 2008 before he was welcomed into the main hospital.

Like many birthdays before, the staff at the hospital rallied around and held a party for Gleeson in the day center for all his family and friends.

He was formally presented with his sixth commemorative medal from President Mary McAleese by staff at the hospital and he was delighted at such an achievement.

Maggie Atkinson, acting director of nursing at Raheen Community Hospital said, “All who were present were very proud to be part of such a significant milestone in Paddy’s life.”

“Paddy took pride of place at the party and reminisced about his past when he was a young man getting the better of the Black and Tans,” she said.

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Nster.com