Trip to France for 108-year-old birthday girl
A remarkable Carrick on Suir lady will take a trip to France this Friday to pick up some duty free to celebrate her 108th birthday.
Not that she will touch a drop herself, any goods secured will be strictly for friends and family.
Margaret (Peggy) Carter (nee O'Dwyer), was born on the 13th November 1901 in Ball Alley Carrick on Suir and has never touched a drop of alcohol, attributing her longevity to drinking plenty of milk .
After returning from her trip to France Peggy,who has lived in London since the 1920's, will attend a celebration ceili in the Crown in Cricklewood on Sunday.
The 108 year old Carrick woman has lived in Cricklewood in London since she emigrated there in the early 1920's and has returned to visit her family and large circle of friends every year up to four years ago.
There will be big celebrations in Cricklewood and Carrick on Suir this Friday as Margaret celebrates the big day.
"She is going to go to France to bring back duty free for her friends despite having had two hip replacements in recent years.She likes to go over there twice a year just to bring back the duty free," said her daughter Tono this week.
"She won't take a drop herself,she never did,.She never drank or smoked .She believes that drinking plenty of milk kept her alive." said her daughter.
Tono said that ,although her mother lived in London most of her life her heart was always in Carrick and her mother loved telling her children and grandchildren all about the town and its people.
"Margaret is very proud of Carrick.She speaks about the town all of the time.Up to four years ago she would have travelled back to Carrick on a regular basis. She came home f our years ago from Carrick giving out 'I don't see anybody I know ' and she has not returned since," said Tono.
Margaret has always maintained strong links with Carrick .With the outbreak of the WW11 Margaret sent her three children Tono, Malachy and Joe (now deceased) back to Carrick to be looked after by their grandparents David and Mary O'Dwyer.
"All children were moved out of London because of the war and we were sent over to our grandparents in Carrick. We got homesick after about a year and wanted to go back to London. Our mother came over for us and brought us back and at that time the air raids had really just begun. We arrived back from Carrick into Paddington and an air raid siren went off.Margaret put the three of us into the big laundry baskets at Paddington Station to protect us and during the raid the whole glass ceiling caved in, but we were all safe," said Tono.
Margaret was born in Ball Alley , Carrick in 1901 where the old Credit Union was.She emigrated in the early 1920's and married a George Carter and they both worked in Guys Hospital in London.During WW11 she worked in a factory making rivets for fighter planes.
Since Margaret celebrated her 100th birthday she has received a letter in the post and a medal to mark her birthday every year since from President Mary McAleese.
"She has great memories of Carrick.She remembers going to Dooleys store to get the coal in a pram and bringing it back to her mother.She loved Carrick and the people of the town," said cousin Margaret O Dwyer who will be one of many of Margarets friends and relatives in Carrick who will be thinking of her on Friday.
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Weather for Clonmel
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Heavy rain
Temperature: 2 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 6 C to 7 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South west
