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10 Sept 2025
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10 Sept 2025
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Annie Murphy, a native of Achill, celebrated her 106th birthday by meeting her great great grandchild Casey James for the first time
An Achill native who celebrated her 106th birthday in the US last week did so by meeting her great-great-great-grandchild for the first time.
Annie Murphy, who was born in Pollagh in Achill, celebrated her 106th birthday on December 3 in her home in Berea, Ohio, USA surrounded by her family and friends. The magnificent milestone in Annie's life was marked with great joy when she was introduced for the first time to her newly born great great-great-grandchild Casey James.
Annie was born on December 3, 1918 in Pollagh in Achill, the home village of her mother, Catherine Lavelle who at the time lived in Scotland with her husband John McGowan. Catherine had been visiting her native island in 1918 when the Spanish Flu pandemic struck and she could not return to Scotland and as a result Annie was born in Achill.
Later in life, Annie qualified as a nurse and later emigrated to the US and lived in Cleveland where she reared her family. She currently lives in the city of Berea, a suburb of Cleveland with her daughter Margaret but Achill is never far from her mind. The family have a home in Polranny and Annie and members of her family have been frequent visitors to the parish and are in regular contact with her many relatives.
Having survived the Spanish flu as a child, Annie also lived through the Covid pandemic unscathed and made her most recent trip to Achill in the summer of 2023 with members of her family.
A relative in Achill who spoke to Annie on her birthday remarked that her mind is as clear as ever and she was delighted to meet with her first great great grandchild Casey James.
“Annie is as hail and hearty as she ever was and is in very good health for a woman who has celebrated her 106th birthday. She is now a great great-grandmother and was delighted to meet the latest edition of her family. Every summer Annie travelled to Achill with members of her family and if she is fit would love to come again next summer. She is a remarkable woman,” the relative told The Mayo News.
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