Page 123 - Guerin Media Ltd | Active Retirement Ireland Members Annual 2016
P. 123
OLDER THAN IRELAND SKILLS & HERITAGE
Ireland with twenty five dollars in her pocket in the
thirties and today is a whopping 113! To watch the film is to feel part of this human
There are tales about school and the brutality of family and community of Irish people, in our
teachers that sadly most have experienced: teachers complexity, emotion and strength. What could be
were “brutes,”“savages,” and “cruel”. We’re treated to more inspiring for the Positive Ageing
stories of first kisses, first loves, family life, dating rituals, movement than to see what Irish people aged one
and marriage. Comparing what life was like then and hundred years and over can achieve.
now, the women interviewed agree that men today are “SO, WHAT’S YOUR SECRET?”
better with their children but they lament the fact that While one woman believes she’s lived so long
you “never see kids playing today.” Some are saddened because she has never eaten a vegetable in her
with the lack of community and how neighbours seem life. Bessie Nolan puts it down to “The Will of God”.
to rarely help and talk to each other nowadays. Michael ‘O Connor offers “moderation in all things
A dawning realisation one might have during this – don’t deny yourself anything” he says,”but know
thoroughly engaging documentary is not how old these when to say stop!”.
people are and still vibrant, but how young this country Since her on-screen debut, 103 year old Bessie
of ours actually is! Nolan has appeared on the cover of Woman’s
Way magazine and the Late Late show, becoming
something of a fashion icon in her late years.
At 101, Michael ‘O Connor loves to drive (he only
retired at 98); “If you do nothing else but dig a
hole and fill it in again you are doing yourself a
favour”, he says with a smile.
For me the film is more than a tribute to it’s many
colorful characters, it forms a reminder of how
wonderful people’s sense of humour can be at any age
and the joy that comes in being heard and telling our
stories. Youthfulness and enthusiasm we can have at any
age but we need to move beyond our individuality – all
it takes is the spark of light that comes through meeting
another person. In this case it was the film camera, but
in the face of loneliness and isolation we all can be that
spark of light for one another.
“Long ago if you saw someone struggling you’d give
them a hand – no word about money, all free.
Helping one another”
Mary Buckley (101) & Mirian OCallaghan
May Spain (101) & Maria Miller
Michael O’Connor (101)
www.activeirl.ie Active Retirement Ireland 123
Ireland with twenty five dollars in her pocket in the
thirties and today is a whopping 113! To watch the film is to feel part of this human
There are tales about school and the brutality of family and community of Irish people, in our
teachers that sadly most have experienced: teachers complexity, emotion and strength. What could be
were “brutes,”“savages,” and “cruel”. We’re treated to more inspiring for the Positive Ageing
stories of first kisses, first loves, family life, dating rituals, movement than to see what Irish people aged one
and marriage. Comparing what life was like then and hundred years and over can achieve.
now, the women interviewed agree that men today are “SO, WHAT’S YOUR SECRET?”
better with their children but they lament the fact that While one woman believes she’s lived so long
you “never see kids playing today.” Some are saddened because she has never eaten a vegetable in her
with the lack of community and how neighbours seem life. Bessie Nolan puts it down to “The Will of God”.
to rarely help and talk to each other nowadays. Michael ‘O Connor offers “moderation in all things
A dawning realisation one might have during this – don’t deny yourself anything” he says,”but know
thoroughly engaging documentary is not how old these when to say stop!”.
people are and still vibrant, but how young this country Since her on-screen debut, 103 year old Bessie
of ours actually is! Nolan has appeared on the cover of Woman’s
Way magazine and the Late Late show, becoming
something of a fashion icon in her late years.
At 101, Michael ‘O Connor loves to drive (he only
retired at 98); “If you do nothing else but dig a
hole and fill it in again you are doing yourself a
favour”, he says with a smile.
For me the film is more than a tribute to it’s many
colorful characters, it forms a reminder of how
wonderful people’s sense of humour can be at any age
and the joy that comes in being heard and telling our
stories. Youthfulness and enthusiasm we can have at any
age but we need to move beyond our individuality – all
it takes is the spark of light that comes through meeting
another person. In this case it was the film camera, but
in the face of loneliness and isolation we all can be that
spark of light for one another.
“Long ago if you saw someone struggling you’d give
them a hand – no word about money, all free.
Helping one another”
Mary Buckley (101) & Mirian OCallaghan
May Spain (101) & Maria Miller
Michael O’Connor (101)
www.activeirl.ie Active Retirement Ireland 123
