‘It feels good to share your 100th birthday with your neighbour’

Margaret McCrory and Elizabeth McLean have more in common than most.

They both grew up in the County Tyrone village of Galbally and have been neighbors for most of their lives.

They have a wicked sense of humor and the most important thing is that both of them have just turned 100 years old.

“It’s definitely nice to share such a big birthday with someone, especially a neighbor,” said Margaret McCrory.

Margaret was brought up in Cappagh, County Tyrone, the sixth of 12 children.

She said: “It’s been a long time now, but I went to a school near Cappagh village.

“Back then you were taught practical things, we learned how to sew, how to knit, how to wash clothes, by the time we left school we could do it all.”

One of Margaret’s proudest accomplishments is her ever-growing family; He currently has 29 grandchildren and 47 great-grandchildren.

The centenarian actress said she likes to stay busy.

He spent most of his time raising his large family as well as helping on his family farm.

He added: “Back then, they were certainly simpler times. There was always a turf fire burning in the house and pots and pans on the fire to boil their spit.

“And it was good enough for all of us, even the animals – the chickens, the pigs, the whole population, we all lived on spuds.”

Not far from Margate’s home in Galbally is the place where Elizabeth Hagen raised her family.

The twin and eldest of all her siblings, she initially went to school in Castlecliff.

Lizzie, as she is known among family and friends, has fond memories of those school days.

Lizzie said, “My school was a short walk from the grounds of an old castle. It was a good place for me and my brother to hide out at odd hours rather than school.”

She added: “Once it came to my dad and he wanted to know why we weren’t at school and why we were climbing the castle walls.

“I told him I was only there to try to get my brother down because he was stuck, and my brother scolded me about it and I laughed.”

As of June last year the Northern Ireland Statistics Research Agency (NISRA) had records of 290 people aged 100 and over living in Northern Ireland, the majority of whom were women.

But Lizzie said that she is not too worried about this achievement and believes that age is just a number.

She said: “To be honest, I knew the birthday was coming, but I didn’t even know it would be 100 until someone pointed it out after looking at all my cards.

“I just laughed and said I thought someone might have made a mistake and miscounted.”

Birthday celebrations for both women have lasted for weeks.

To mark the occasion the Chairman of the Mid Ulster Council visited them both to present flowers, as well as letters from King Charles and Irish President Michael D Higgins.

But last week Tyrone’s latest centenarians finally got the chance to celebrate the occasion together when Lizzie along with both of their families visited Margaret at her home.

Margaret said she was delighted to see Lizzie in person as her home had always been a “seli house” where friends and neighbors were always visiting.

He added, “Young people these days don’t know what ‘go on your cell’ means – you’ll go to someone’s house and talk all night long.

“When I was little some ‘ole boys’ used to come to our house, sit around the fire and tell fairy tales; if you didn’t chase them away they’d stay up all night.”

While surrounded by friends and family at their joint party, both women were asked about the secret of reaching the age of 100.

Margaret replied: “Work hard no matter how much, just live a good life and do whatever work you have to do, don’t sit in the corner and watch it.”

Lizzie added, “Just shut up and keep your head up.”