“I worked hard all my life and never took a holiday”.
That’s the secret to the long life of one of Boyle’s oldest residents – Michael Coyne – who celebrated his 101st birthday on Sunday last.
The Cloonfinglas, Fairymount native now resides with his nephew Neil McGarry at Sycamore Crescent in Boyle and is a familiar figure in the various restaurants in town where he loves to go for some lunch or an evening meal.
Speaking to Boyletoday.com, Michael remarked how life is so much easier for people nowadays.
“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.
