Cath shares secret of how to have a long and happy life on 102nd birthday

The key to her success, she told the News Letter today (20th), is “a life that has been lived with purpose”.

Enjoying the celebrations on her incredible birthday, a beaming Cath added: “That, and liking people – and having three lovely children is the icing on the cake.”

​Cath also credits her faith for seeing her through. A lifelong devout believer, to this day she keeps her mother’s Bible by her bedside and says it’s helped her stick to a clean-living life without “drinking, cigarettes or bad men”.

She’s seen a lot over her years, both the good and the bad; the pain of losing a brother in the Second World War and the ​relief of VE Day, and the joy of starting a family.

Indeed, she actually had a double-wedding, her and her sister tying the knot at the same time, which was a fairly common experience during the war years.

But there’s one standout memory of her 102 years – the way her own parents raised her. “The way they brought me up, we were always taught to respect one another so there was no difference,” she said.

Still bright and full of zip, Cath marked the day with cake and buns in Belfast’s Belmont Care Home, where she’s been living since last year.

The middle of five children, she was born in Donegal and spent much of early career in Londonderry, working as a nurse.

Marrying an RUC officer, her beloved Bobby, she had three children – Janet, Peter and Cathy – and the family travelled around much of Northern Ireland as her husband was posted to different police stations.

The family are quick to pay tribute to her as a mother, remembering how she’d scrimped and saved to put them all through grammar school while they lived in Omagh.

“She wanted us to have a good education,” said Janet, “and now we’ve all got letters after our names.

“The police didn’t get paid as much back then, but mum always made sure.

“But we had a big family holiday every year in Portrush and Mum did the cooking, cleaning and looked after everyone. Really, she looked after everyone her entire life.”

Added Peter: “She was an absolute star, our entire lives; tolerant, too. Her tolerance was probably her strongest part.”

Her own career took in everything ​from working in a cake shop to a stint in a doctor’s surgery, and becoming the assistant manager of a nursing home.

With a definite independent streak, she was determined to live on her own terms as long as she could – doing the gardening right into her 90s and staying in her own home until she was 101, only entering a care home around nine months ago.

Reflecting on her long and eventful life and reaching the grand age of 102, her daughter Cathy commented: “It’s a great milestone, but we take it all in our stride – Mummy included. She’s very humble.”