Galway mourns passing of remarkable centenarian

Date Published: {J}

Galway is mourning the loss of one of its most remarkable citizens after former army captain and NUIG lecturer Alasdar MacCana passed away last week. He would have been 102 years old on Tuesday.

The Oughterard centenarian earned acclaim last year when completed a Certificate in Computing at Moycullen VEC at the age of 101 with a view to starting his own business.

He had previously participated in the 100-mile Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage in Northern Spain at the age of 97 and recently turned his attention to studying Ancient Greek before he died at his home in Portacarron, Oughterard last Monday.

Alasdar was born in Glasgow in 1908 and embarked on a teaching career in 1931 that was to span 59 years. He developed an interest in the Irish language and came to Spiddal to study the native tongue in 1938 when he met his wife, Magdalene Conlon.

When Churchill threatened to seize the Irish ports to aid the British war effort in 1940, Alasdar decided to enlist in the Irish Army and joined the Ordinance Corps, of which he was promoted to captain within a few short months.

He remained in Spiddal for a time after the War before returning to Scotland with Magdalene, where he became Head of Physics and later Principal of Our Lady’s High School in Motherwell. He was headmaster and rector at All Hallows School in Manchester from 1957 until his ‘retirement’ in 1973, at which point he returned to Galway.

He accepted a teaching post at St Catherine’s Secondary School in Armagh upon his return and commuted each week from his home in Spiddal until he began lecturing Experimental Physics at University College Galway (NUIG).

He taught first year practical classes there for 15 years and became involved with the Education Department prior to his retirement at the age of 90. He was received an honorary masters degree from the University in 2007 at the age of 99 years and eight months.

Alasdar had an insatiable thirst for knowledge and completed a computer course last year driven by an ambition to start his own business as an educational adviser. He had also started to learn Ancient Greek.

He remained physically adroit and could regularly be seen walking from his home at Portacarron into the village of Oughterard. He travelled to Northern Spain with his son to complete the 100-mile Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage at the age of 97, covering ten miles a day over ten days.

Alasdar was a keen traveller and spent two weeks in Malta in 2008, which the 100-year-old enjoyed but said that he wouldn’t be bothered going back there “for another seven or eight years at least”. He featured on the national airwaves a few years ago when his plans to visit the Holy Land were hindered by the refusal by an insurance company to grant him travel insurance due to his age.

He also challenged a motor insurance firm when they attempted to “age-weight” the cost of his policy on his 90th birthday, and he succeeded in having his premium reduced.

Described as a spiritual man of deep faith, Alasdar attributed his remarkable longevity to “everything in moderation” and habitually enjoyed cigars, a glass of red wine before dinner and a glass of whiskey before bed.

Loving father of Maureen, Eithne, Liam, Padraig, Philip, Ciaran, Finian and the late Barbara; Alasdar is survived by seven children, 30 grandchildren and three great grandchildren. His passing was mourned and his remarkable life celebrated at a funeral in Oughterard last Sunday and he was laid to rest in Coilleach Cemetery in Spiddal.