Longford mourns centenarian Peggy Lennon who was a great lady for the rural way of life

Sadly we record the death of Peggy (Margaret) Lennon, Curracrehan, Moydow which occurred after a brief illness in Mullingar Hospital on Thursday, May 30.

Peggy had just celebrated her one hundredth birthday over a month back on April 19. Sadly she took ill just a few weeks before her big day and was unable to celebrate the occasion as her family would have wished.

Peggy lived a very healthy long life until her final illness. Born in April 1924 only daughter of Michael and June Murphy she lived all her life very close to the land.

Peggy would have hand milked the cows, churned the butter, fed the calves, fed the hens and chickens, made the brown bread and took part in the general day to day farm work with her parents and brothers.

Also read: Longford woman Peggy Lennon celebrates her 100th birthday

She would have continued the same life after she married her husband Michael (Sonny) Lennon and went to reside in Clonfide.

Peggy was also a great social lady. She played her part in local plays (drama) where she excelled as an actor. She was also involved with the Pioneer Association of which she was a lifelong member. She organised summer outings to Bray, Galway etc.

The ICA was her lifelong interest. In fact she could be a holder of a national record for long membership. She joined the Kenagh branch of ICA in 1946 and continued active membership until she attended her last meeting in January of 2024. A span of seventy eight years, surely a national record.

Peggy joined the Carrickedmond branch of ICA when she moved to the parish of Carrickedmond but returned to Kenagh branch in her later years.

No doubt a great lady for the rural way of life she was predeceased by her husband Sonny, brothers Liam, Dan and Michael.

We offer our sincere sympathy to her sons Micheal, Mel, daughter Jeanette, brother Vincent in England, grandchildren, Rosaleen Liam, Clodagh and Daniel, sister in law Eileen Lennon, Rosemary and Sue, cousins, members of ICA across the country and a host of friends and neighbours in Curracreehan and Coolnahinch.

She was buried following Funeral Mass in the Church of the Sacred Heart, Carrickedmond  on Sunday morning.

No doubt a century well lived by a good friend and a good neighbour.

Kenagh ICA tribute
It was with great sadness that Kenagh ICA learned of the passing of our oldest and much loved member, Peggy Lennon.

A founding member of the Kenagh Guild in 1946, Peggy was a pillar stone in what is now the oldest Guild in Longford. She was the last surviving member of that first committee and attended meetings up until January this year.

Always up for fun and chats Peggy was an invaluable source of information and stories about life in rural Ireland for women.

We will miss her deeply. We extend our sympathies to Peggy’s family and friends at this sad time.

Also read: Sadness in Longford at death of basketball supremo Mick Murphy