Ireland’s Oldest Woman Dies – 109th Birthday Days Away
Ireland‘s Oldest woman, 108, Recalls Black and Tans and Attributes Long Life to ‘New Nettles‘
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Kathleen Coyle, who celebrated her 108th birthday this week, has vivid memories of Ireland’s turbulent past, including the Black and Tans, and credits her remarkable longevity to a simple, conventional remedy: eating young nettles.
Kathleen Coyle, Ireland’s oldest woman, has shared exceptional memories from a bygone era, including encounters with the notorious Black and Tans during the War of Independence. Now 108, Ms Coyle, who lives in Co Wicklow, also attributes her long and healthy life to a surprising dietary habit: consuming young nettles in her cabbage.
her daughter, Marian Galligan, speaking to The Irish Times earlier this year, revealed that her mother, who grew up in Co Wicklow, has recollections of important periods in Irish history. These include the Civil War (1922-1923) and even the War of Independence (1919-1921).
Ms Galligan recounted her mother’s memories of the Black and Tans, British forces operating in Ireland during the War of Independence, who were known for their brutality.
A Close Call with the Black and Tans
Ms Coyle vividly remembers one harrowing incident where all the men named James in her local area were rounded up by the Black and Tans. The aim was to identify who had shot one of their members.Ms Coyle’s father, also named James, was among those taken up the mountains.While his family feared the worst, he returned home hours later, unharmed.
A Family of Centenarians
Kathleen Coyle’s longevity appears to be a family trait. She had nine siblings, several of whom also lived beyond their centenary year. Her sister, Lily Kelly, who resides in Solihull, England, celebrated her 103rd birthday in April. Another brother, Andy Byrne, passed away shortly before his 101st birthday.
From Wicklow to Drumcondra
Born in Knockatomcoyle, a townland in Co Wicklow, Ms Coyle’s family later moved to coolkenno, near Tullow.She met her future husband, Tom Coyle from Cavan, at a dance while she was working as a housekeeper in Foxrock.
The couple married and settled in Drumcondra. They had four children, but tragically, two of their daughters died as newborns. ms Coyle, who lost her eyesight in her early thirties, is now a proud grandmother to five grandchildren and has seven great-grandchildren. Her husband worked as a postman until he suffered a stroke in his late 50s,followed by a brain haemorrhage.
The Secret to a Long Life? Nettles.
When asked about the secret to her mother’s remarkable longevity, Marian galligan shared a cherished family tradition. “She would gather the first nettles every spring and put them in the cabbage,” Ms Galligan explained.
Her mother’s reasoning was simple yet profound: “She used to say, ‘that will purify your blood’.” This humble, natural remedy, coupled with a life rich in experiance and family, seems to have contributed to kathleen Coyle’s extraordinary 108 years.