By Carolyn Smith

One of Donabates’ senior Senior citizens, my mother Wendy Geary, celebrated her 100th birthday on Saturday 23rd April. She did so in Balcarrick Golf Club in the company of family and friends, many of whom had travelled, and will travel, from near and far to be a part of the festivities. Wendy was born in London, she spent her first four years in India where her father was a civil engineer, then she and her brother John were cared for in London by an aunt. In due course she did her nursing training in Bristol Royal Infirmary and on qualifying she joined the army nursing corps the Queen Alexanders Imperial Military Nursing Service as WW2 was raging at that time. She worked in a casualty clearing station on the south coast of England during the D-Day landings in 1944. Then she was posted to India where she met my father who was in the RAF. He had been posted there having completed two full tours with Bomber Command in England. She worked on the ambulance trains which travelled the length and breadth of the country collecting wounded personnel and caring for them as they were conveyed to hospital. At the end of the war she was posted to Germany where she witnessed the post-conflict devastation and deprivation. She and my father were married in London and subsequently came to live in Ireland (Dad was Irish) where she has lived since.

During her party she was surprised and delighted by the arrival of Brian Duffy Chairman of the Royal British Legion, Republic of Ireland and Standard Bearer Geoff Berry to honour her as a war veteran. Many thanks to Brian and Geoff, they made her day extra special.

Many thanks to Balcarrick Golf Club for welcoming us all, and of course especially to Jacinta and her catering team who looked after us so well. Another important thank you goes to Fathers’ Pat and Augustine of St Patricks Church, Donabate. At 6.30pm Mass on Saturday Fr Augustine made a special mention of mums’ birthday, and Fr Pat brought out a beautiful cake to the singing of Happy Birthday in the church. All in all, a very well celebrated 100th Birthday.