Sarah and Dora join ton-up club

ROUTINE is the secret to a long life, according to
Glasnevin native Sarah Casey who recently received her Centenarian bounty from
the president.

The great grandmother of 14, grandmother of 10 and
mother of three, celebrated her birthday in style on the weekend of January 20
surrounded by more than 130 friends and family who travelled from near and far
for the occasion.

The much-loved and admired centenarian has been a
resident of Anam Cara nursing home on St Canice’s Road for four years but lived
for 43 years prior to that with her daughter-in-law Collette Casey and her
family in Glasnevin Hill.

“She’s an amazing woman,

? Collette told Northside
People.

“Routine is definitely her secret to longevity. For
decades she had certain days to do certain chores like every Monday she’d
defrost the fridge, every Wednesday she’d pay her bills and every Thursday
she’s polish her brassware.

“She loves her fashion and was a wonderful dressmaker
and would often have turned an old overcoat into a little coat for one of her
grandchildren.

“She had and still has great foresight about
everything and was very instinctive.

“My husband, her son Sean, died two years ago and was
sick before his death. I think she knew before I did just how ill he was
because she was really insistent that we find a home for her to move to so we
could concentrate on looking after him.

Collette added:

“There’s a lot to this lady. She is
absolutely wonderful.

?

Sarah Casey and Drumcondra local Dora Cheevers are
part of the new record-breaking centenarian club which last year saw the
highest-ever number of Irish people in receipt of the

?¬2,540 presidential
payment.

Dora, who is described as life and soul of the party,
celebrated her 100th birthday on December 8.

The fun-loving centenarian was surrounded by her
friends at the Drumcondra Ladies Club, which she has attended every week since
it was set up in 1969.

Ever the entertainer, Dora treated friends to a
rendition of her much loved tune A German Clock Winder after she blew out her
candles.

“She’s a slight hearing difficulty but she’s very with
it and doing better than people younger than her,

? Dora’s friend Christine
Scully told Northside People.

“She never-married and she doesn’t have any children
which is probably why she’s lived as well and as long as she has.

?

Last year more than 200 Irish citizens celebrated
their 100th birthday, 55 of whom live in Dublin. About 85 per cent of
centenarians were woman and that figure doesn’t vary much from year to year.

In 2011, Aras an Uachtarain paid out

?¬934,720 in
presidential bounties.