Mourners told that 106-year-old Maggie was gifted, intelligent and religious

Maggie Maguire who died this week at the age of 106, has been described as a talented, gifted and intelligent woman with a solid faith. 

At her Funeral Mass in St Naul’s Church, Ardaghy, Inver, Fr James Sweeney said that in 37 years in the priesthood, he had not previously buried somebody of that age. 

Drawing attention to the Alpha and Omega symbols on the Pascal candle, he said: “Alpha marks the beginning of life

“Maybe a week or so after April 7, 1917, a candle like that was lit on the day she was baptised.

“And here we are 106 years later marking the Omega, the end of her earthly life.”

Early Life

Maggie (Margaret) was one of four children born to parents Francis and Bridget in Lignaul. She attended Legan school and learned to embroider at an early age.

“She became very skilled at sprigging as it was called,” said Fr Sweeney. “Her family remember her sprigging at night sitting beside a tilly lamp as there was no electricity then.

“We’ve got very modern now. We forget all those things. But it’s not all that long ago and people like Maggie Maguire crafted a livelihood  from working under the tilly lamp, working at the design and craft that she was good at.”
Mourners heard that Maggie and her sister Mary Ann often walked to Ardara bringing handkerchiefs they had embroidered, and then walked back home. 

“Can you just imagine today asking a lady to walk to Ardara?” said Fr Sweeney. “She’d probably take off her high heels and hit you to start with! “There’d be no walking to Ardara, 

“But that was our culture, that was our life. These were very healthy, hard-working people. And they grew up in a very different Ireland but maybe not a bad Ireland when you look round today.”

As Maggie got older she continued to do her embroidery and kept chickens. 

“She would cycle to Mountcharles every Saturday with eggs to McColgan’s shop,” said Fr Sweeney. 

“She then started working at home, mending  tweed pieces for Magee’s of Donegal, and she enjoyed talking to all the drivers who delivered and collected the lengths of tweed. 

“She spent many years hand-sewing silk nightdresses for a Miss Reaper in Dublin and they were for the rich people.” 

Maggie also used to knit Aran cardigans for Magee’s of Donegal.

Fr Sweeney said: “If she was a young woman today, just listening to all that, she would probably have her own shop. She was a talented, gifted person.”
He said that Maggie loved having people call to the house, and all her children’s school friends were always welcome. 

“And they all continued to visit her even when they were grown up,” he added.

Faith  

Maggie’s biggest fear was thunder and lightning. 

Fr Sweeney said: “If a black cloud appeared, she got out the blessed candles. They were placed on the window. Holy water was sprinkled all over. She had a great belief in holy water, and always in later years had holy water and the Rosary beads beside her.”

Maggie and her husband regularly made the pilgrimage to Knock Shrine.

She also enjoyed bingo, and loved spoiling her grandchildren. 

Fr Sweeney described Maggie as  a very clever and intelligent woman who liked to keep up with all the goings-on. He said she was a very interesting person, a good mother, a good grandmother, a good neighbour and a good friend. 

He added that in her final years, Maggie spent her days reading a Mass Missal which her husband Michael had bought her at a Mission in Ardaghy. And she would go through h dozens of memorial cards for deceased neighbours and friends.

Mourners heard how someone had recently described Maggie as a lovely, calm, quiet person, a religious woman, who was full of fun. 

“And they gave me another line which I thought was great,” said Fr Sweeney. 

“ They told me that she rarely got ruffled about anything. She could go to bed no matter what was happening in the world, no matter what pressure or stress she was under, and get up and continue on the next day and everything worked out. 

“As we know, she lived a long life and has experienced many changes in the world and society. 

“And she suffered the loss of her two sons which of course is always hard when some of a family die before their parents. We remember them today. 

“But as I said, she was a woman of faith, a woman of hope and a woman of resilience. 

“She may not have had any PhDs or doctorates or any of those things but she had a PhD in living and she had a doctorate in faith - grounded, solid important.”

Following the Funeral Mass, Maggie was laid to rest in the local cemetery. 

Predeceased by her husband Michael and her sons John Francis and Edward Joseph, she is survived by her son Michael and daughter-in-law Nuala, Ardaghey; her daughter Bridget Quigg and son-in-law Pat, Glencolmcille; her seven grandchildren and her six great-grandchildren.