Catholicireland.net Features

Sr. Margaret Magrath Celebrates her 100th Birthday 

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Sr. Margaret is spellbound as Sr. Ann McColl  presents her with Greetings from
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth 11.  
 
  
Sr. Margaret Magrath celebrated her 100th Birthday at Mount Oliver, Dundalk on 19th February 2012. She was joined by members of our Leadership Team, and the Mount Oliver, Moredun, Raheny and Sandymount communities.  Being a Sunday, Margaret was content to attend the Sunday Mass without a mention of her Birthday.  She wanted no fuss!   
After a nice lunch, Sr. Mary Ingles from Scotland related stories of Sr. Margaret remembered over the years, much to the appreciation (and at times, amusement) of the gathering.  

Margaret was born in Bradford in Yorkshire.  While her nationality is English, she is proud of her half-Scottish parentage.  Margaret joined the Franciscan Sisters on 15th March 1937 and was professed on 14th  September 1939, when she was given the Religious name of Sr. Jemma ( a name that many might remember her by).    

As one would expect, Sr. Margaret's career has been long and fruitful, primarily as a Teacher and in later life as a Bursar.  Through the years Margaret is associated with places such as Nkokonkeru in Uganda, where she arrived in 1943.  In Uganda she also taught in Pallisa, Bukedea, Namagunga, Ngora and served in the Education Office at Nsambya, Kampala.  Sr. Margaret also taught for a number of years in England and Scotland before returning to Uganda in 1980 where she served in Nyenga and Buluba until she was called to Zimbabwe to help out. Most of Sr. Margaret's remaining years in Africa were spent in Uganda until she retired to Mount Oliver in 2000.

We are glad to say that Sr. Margaret is still hail and hearty.  We learned that Margaret's parents ran a book shop in Yorkshire when Margaret was a child.  That seemed to explain it! Today, Margaret remains an avid reader of books and is well known in the Dundalk Public Library.

It was wonderful to see the joy and surprise on Margaret's face when Sr. Ann McColl (our Regional Leader) presented her with a greeting card from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 11. It really made her day.  Then to her further surprise, as a long standing resident of Ireland, she was presented with a letter of greeting and cheque from the President of Ireland, Michael D. O'Higgins.     

We Congratulate Sr. Margaret and wish her every blessing as she goes into her next century.   

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                Sr. Margaret enjoys opening her Letter of Congratulations and Centenarian's cheque
                      from Michael D. O'Higgins, President of Ireland - presented by Sr. Miriam Duggan

Avril Reynolds FMSA