Moore woman enjoys 103rd birthday celebration
Nellie Tumulty was born in the year of the deadly Spanish Flu, and remarkably, celebrated her 103rd birthday during another worldwide pandemic on April 6 last.
Hard work, faith and no alcohol is Nellie's answer when asked the secret of her long life, according to her daughter Mary, who thanked everyone who got in touch or sent messages or flowers on Nellie's big day recently.
“She enjoyed it, she was upbeat and was on high dough for the day,” enthused Mary, who said her mother was delighted to get a visit on the day from local priest Fr Michael Molloy, and of course, some birthday cake.
The Moore resident also received a letter and a medal from President Michael D Higgins, and everyone is astounded she now has three medals, the first received on the occasion of her 100th birthday when relatives from as far as America, Australia and all over Ireland congregated for the special occasion.
The second eldest of seven, she was born Ellen Kenny on a farm in Clonfad, Moore, to parents Michael and Catherine Kenny (née Kelly) but has always been known as Nellie.
She trained in psychiatric nursing and worked in St Brigid's Hospital, Ballinasloe until she married Thomas (Tom) Tumulty in 1956 and moved a short distance away from her homeplace to Tanvey.
Here she helped to run the family farm and bring up her two children Mary and Kathy. Caring and sociable, she has always been known for helping her family and neighbours, and in the past was always called for when there were medical problems in the village where her expertise was highly valued.
A lifelong Pioneer, Nellie Tumulty enjoyed card games in years gone by, travelled to bingo several nights a week, and loved completing crosswords. She still plays Telly Bingo three times a week at home where is happiest and loves scratch cards.
While she has yet to get her vaccination, her daughter Mary explained they got a notice last Friday morning that it will be undertaken by the ambulance service in the near future. She said Nellie misses her callers and contact with people, and hopefully, that will be able to happen again soon.
She thanked the neighbours, Fr Michael, her carers, friends and extended family who made her 103rd birthday such a special day with the best wishes, cards, flowers and congratulations, something Mary said she and Kathy appreciated a great deal.