There was widespread sadness on Tuesday morning when word filtered through of the death of Roscommon’s oldest citizen and Ireland’s second oldest man – Boyle resident Michael Coyne.
Michael, who lived with his nephew Neil McGarry in Sycamore Crescent in Boyle celebrated his 107th birthday in January last.
A familiar face around the town, Michael was an avid Roscommon GAA fan and a regular at games in Hyde Park over the years.
For his birthday in January, the Cloonfinglas, Fairymount native attended a celebratory Mass at the Church of the Sacred Heart Church in Castlerea where he was baptised 107 years ago.
Back in 2018, Michael gave an interview to Boyletoday.com in his home as he celebrated his 101st birthday, putting his longevity down to working hard all his life and never taking a holiday.
Here is the 2018 interview in full:
“It seems to me that there are are no hard times anymore. You can now have turkey and ham any day. Things are a lot easier”.
Michael moved to Boyle four years ago and gave up driving around that time. He purchased his first car in 1953 and proudly still has a current driving licence which is in force until April this year when he will “have to have a test or two to get it again”.
Michael drank all his life but “not too much” and smoked also, “I always had a packet of cigarettes in my pocket. I took the odd one when I was having a drink or if I was a bit nervous”.
Born on the 14th January 1917, he recalls how his family and others around him always grew their own vegetables and were self sufficient.
His parents “never seen the pension” but his late brother did live into his eighties.
Michael also has fond memories of Fair days in Boyle and driving cattle “Up the Green”.
Asked what advice he would give to young people, Michael’s eyes open wide and with a long stare, he says ” What would I be bothered giving a young person advice for? Sure they wouldn’t listen to you anyway. Too many young people think they know everything, but they are not always right you know”.
And with that 101 year old Michael goes back to reading his newspaper and taking stock off all that’s happening outside the window of his adopted home in Sycamore Crescent.
Predeceased by his parents Philip and Mary, sisters Kathleen Coyne and Mary McGarry and his brother Bernard, Michael is deeply regretted by his nephew and carer Neil McGarry, relatives neighbours and large circle of friends.
Michael will be reposing in Higgins and Sons Funeral Home, Ballinameen (F52 RC58) on the 22nd of May from 5pm to 7:30pm, to arrive to the Church of the Sacred Heart Fairymount (F45 F702) for 8pm.
Funeral Mass will take place at 12 Noon Thursday the 23th of May with burial afterwards to Fairymount Cemetery
(Photograph courtesy Brian Farrell Photographer)
