A woman who was born on a small, sparsely inhabited island off the northwest coast, will return there this afternoon as she celebrates her 100th birthday.
Maggie McFadden was born on the 300-acre Inis Bó Finne, near Machaire Rabhartaigh, Co Donegal, and attributes her longevity to hard work and faith.
When asked about her secret to a long life, she said: “Don’t be smoking and drinking too much; a good heart, honesty is everything, jealousy is the worst disease in the world.”
Until the early 1970s, Inis Bó Finne had a population of 100.
However, its population declined after that with just 16 people recorded on the 2022 census as living there.
Some people return to fish or shellfish on a seasonal basis, but few spend all year on the island, which is home to corncrakes, peregrine falcons and barnacle geese.
Ms McFadden’s grandniece, Kelise McCready, said Maggie became the main breadwinner for her family when her father lost his sight in an accident.
Maggie McFadden moved to Glasgow in the 1950s
As a teenager, she was one of many children from rural Donegal hired for seasonal labour in the rich agricultural area of the border region known as the ‘Lagan’.
“Maggie would go to the hiring fair in Letterkenny and from there would spend her time in Northern Ireland, working on the farm until late spring.
“She would send home whatever money she earned to maintain the family on the island,” Ms McCready said.
Maggie moved to Glasgow with her mother and sister in the 1950s.
Watch: The Old Days On Inishbofin
Her youngest sister, a mother of five children, died suddenly on Inis Bó Finne in 1962.
Maggie took her sister’s youngest child – a five-week old baby – to Glasgow, where they lived until the late 1960s before returning to the island.
“I went to Glasgow on 27 September 1951. I used to come home every summer. I was there until 28 August 1970, when I came back to my old home on Inisbofin… I loved it,” she said.
RTÉ featured Maggie among others on the ‘Women’s Programme’, broadcast on 21 February 1986, when five people remained on Inis Bó Finne during the winter.
This afternoon, Maggie’s family and friends will return with her to Inis Bó Finne as she celebrates becoming a centenarian with Mass in the island church, followed by music.
“Her 100th birthday wouldn’t be held anywhere else but on her beloved island with extended friends, family and neighbours,” her grandniece said.