A new book telling the stories of five centenarians from the Fermanagh and Omagh area has been released.
‘Calling All Centenarians’ features the group of local people who lived to over 100 years of age, and reveals their best advice for a long, happy life.
The book was launched as part of the local council’s marking of the centenary of the establishment of Northern Ireland in 1921.
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This reminiscence project aimed to provide a lasting legacy of stories told by people who were born over 100 years ago by recording their life stories.
Pauline Brown from Newtownbutler turned 101 on 27 September 2022. Pauline regularly tells her nephew Paul that she is continuing her long and happy life as they “forgot to send the bus for her and when they do it will be a single ticket.”
Bob Lingwood from Omagh lived for 50 years in London before moving to Omagh and felt his life experience had the best of both worlds. Bob died peacefully on 12 February 2022 at the age of 103.
His love of the nearby Chelsea Football Club started at an early age. Bob loved to play football and attend the matches. He often acted as a “Chelsea boy” returning the footballs during matches.
Marrying a girl from Northern Ireland, he found life in Omagh is much more community centred in comparison to London where you didn’t even know your own neighbours.
As someone who described himself as “liking people – it’s a gift”, he loved living in the area.
Giving advice on how to live a long and happy life, Evie Bowles from Lisnaskea recommended starting each day with a bowl of porridge and then to sing a hymn.
Her advice to everyone was to ‘treat everyone the same and keep your head up’.
Evie died peacefully at Gortacharn Nursing Home, Lisnaskea on 19 September 2021 aged 101.
Noble Hetherington turned 101 on 30 June 2022 and farmed at his home in Newtownbutler. He loves the outdoors and continues to enjoy his garden.
Noble attributes his long life to ‘plenty of hard work and fresh air’, as well as a happy marriage and being surrounded by a loving family.
Now aged 103, Vincent O’Reilly from Enniskillen believes he is very lucky experiencing good health throughout his life. He says the secret of his good health is having everything in moderation.
Speaking at the launch of the book at Enniskillen Castle, council development officer Catherine Scott said the project was a celebration of lives well lived.
“This project is a celebration of lives well lived and stories shared, which in many ways, matter more than revolution and war,” Catherine said.
“We can relate to individual, we can see our own stories reflected in others, we feel we belong."
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