Fiftieth birthday celebrations for St Hilda’s beloved Martina

By David Flynn

Martina Moore, who celebrated her 50th birthday at a recent party given by her St Hilda’s Services carers and friends in Monksland Community Centre, is a popular person, a great music lover, and a huge fan of 1980s pop artist Paul Young, who she has met a couple of times.

Martina and her twin sister Olivia were born on September 14, 1975, and the family had tough times over the years with Martina’s health challenge, which began at birth, but the Drum family were very proud this month with the 50th birthday milestone.

Martina's mother Mary Moore told the Westmeath Independent: "We took her to Lourdes when she was three years old and she started to walk just before that. My own mother said to me at the time to put her standing, and that’s how she got the strength in her legs.

"Martina started in St Hilda’s when she was seven years old, and the staff helped her a lot over all the years."

Martina currently attends the Baylough hub of St Hilda’s Services five days per week, and goes home to her family in Drum in the evening. She has many interests, including bowling, equine therapy, jewellery, and is a great lover of 1980s music and culture. She has a great fondness for singer Paul Young, who had many hit singles and is noted as being the opening singer on the Band Aid classic song, ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’

Martina went to several Paul Young concerts and met him on a number of occasions and had pictures taken with him.

Martina’s parents are Willie and Mary and as well as her twin sister, she has another sister, Nicola, and a late sister Patricia, who passed away in 2005.

One of Martina's carers at the Baylough hub for the past three years, Alma Caffrey, said: "Martina is a great people person and as well as her music, she likes her coffee or Diet Coke and Taytos, and is happy out with that."

Twin sister Olivia revealed that Martina’s nickname is ‘Monty’, in the family circle, because it was a shortening of her name.

“When we were kids, we’d be saying ‘Come on Monty’ and it has stuck, but we’re all very proud of her,” said Olivia. “This is a big event today for Monty, and we’ve been so lucky, and the Baylough hub staff have been very good with her and look after her so well, as has a lot of people over the years.”

Martina’s aunt Bridie Moore said: “Tina is the heart of the house.”

“Everything revolves around her and we wouldn’t change any of it for the world, and here she is at 50 and going strong,” said Bridie.