Connacht Tribune
Galway native marks big birthday – still in the best of good health!
Wearing a face covering through pandemic is nothing new to Galway’s newest centenarian – because Winnie Moran never left home without her gas mask when she nursed in London during the Second World War!
A woman of determination and independent spirit, she overcame that and every obstacle that life put in her way, and she continues to enjoy good health as she celebrated her big birthday on April 20.
Winifred Moran (nee Fahy) was the third youngest of fourteen siblings born to Margaret Deely and Michael Fahy Leitrim, Loughrea.
By the tender age of twelve, both her parents were deceased – thus she was raised by her older sister Margaret (Ciss) Tierney and brother Mick Fahy.
Her family had a great love of traditional Irish music, dancing and politics.
Winnie attended dance lessons as a child and could dance the Blackbird Hornpipe well into her nineties!
In her late teens she emigrated to the UK and trained in Intellectual Disability Nursing in Scotland. She furthered her study in London to train and register as a General Nurse.
She also nursed in the first Cheshire Home which was opened for disabled ex-service men in Hampshire in 1948. Her unquenchable thirst for knowledge saw her acquire further qualifications in midwifery and paediatrics.
She embraced her career as a nurse in London during the war era – which is why wearing a mask during Covid-19 isn’t anything new to Winnie as she had to carry a gas mask with her at all times World War 2.
In London she met and married her husband Colman Moran, and they returned to Rakerin, Kilbeacanty, in 1955 for a life of farming and raising their eight children; Maureen, Michael, Patrick, Martin, Francis, Thomas, Bridget, and Margaret.
Baby Francis passed away aged one year due to meningitis and later in life her son Martin passed at 52 years of age.
For 66 years, Winnie has been a devoted Kilbeacanty parishioner, very involved in her community.
She embraced her life as wife and mother to raise her family. Her strong work ethic meant she worked very hard milking cows, very much involved in the day to day running of the farm.
Having a very positive attitude always, she never complains or entertains complaining.
Her philosophy of life being “any day you can get out of bed and put your two feet under you is a good day. You just do the best you can and if your children are well you have no worries.”
Combining this with her strong faith, a great devotion to the Rosary and being an avid mass goer has kept her going.
Winnie loves baking, her apple tarts and buns were very popular well into her nineties.
Always enjoying being outdoors she loved spending time in her garden attending to her flowers. She loves nothing more than having her family gathered around her, their well-being is always her priority.
She loves to read despite failing eyesight. She has continued to keep up to date with current affairs and remained interested in medical advancements down through the years.
Winnie is a very optimistic person always, shows great resilience no matter what life challenges her with.
Her positivity, good humour and self-reliance has influenced her seven children, seventeen grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
All are very close to her, a testimony to her interest in people, her wonderful listening skills, her good advice and the time she has given them down through the years.
Winnie has enjoyed living independently for 97 years surrounded by family and great neighbours, and she has resided at Blake Manor Nursing Home, Ballindereen since July 2020.
Her Presidential cheque was presented by one of these great neighbours Mrs. Margaret Quinn to celebrate this wonderful occasion.
Her family are grateful for the way she has enriched our lives, and they hugely appreciate all the good wishes and gifts from her neighbours, relatives and friends – and Aideen Scanlon and all the staff of Blake Manor Nursing Home who facilitated the birthday celebration.
(Photo: Winifred Moran accepts her Presidential cheque from her great friend and neighbour Margaret Quinn).
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
