103 years young: One of Ireland’s oldest citizens reveals her secrets to a long life....One of Ireland’s oldest citizens May Morris has revealed her secrets to a long and healthy life.
May (103), from Castledermot, Co Kildare, said lots of laughter and lots of prayer were her tickets to the road to longevity.
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As she celebrated her birthday with her daughter Rose Thompson (77), who flew home from Australia especially for the occasion, May recalled the happy times in her life.
The Kildare woman worked as a factory worker in England for 60 years, and was heavily involved in charity work for the missions and St Vincent de Paul there, before she returned to home soil again.
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"As you go along on the earth, you don't know who you're going to meet. The best way to live in the world of God is to be right and be as nice as you can," May said, as she was surrounded by friends and staff at Hillview nursing home in Carlow for the occasion.
Rose, who has hosted her mother in Australia many times and has visited her in Ireland through the years, says her mother is an inspiration.
She described this particular visit home to see her mother as an emotional one.
Rose said: “She’s been an inspiration to us. She always did the right thing and she’d say get up and do something with your life.”
“Her [second] husband Joe Morris was a sergeant in the British army in India, he used to call her his little passion flower. She's a romantic."
Remarkably, May lived alone and independently until two years ago thanks to the help of her neighbours like B Kelly.
May continued: "Plenty of times when you get older you'll be thinking 'when I was this, that and the other'."
"The very best thing you can do for your own self is to dip in holy water and the blessed sacrament, and a little prayer for yourself and you'll never go wrong - [if you're] sick or sore or anything."
"I do say 'now behave yourself'," she joked, doling out her one last piece of advice for a long and happy life.