Published: Thursday, 18th February, 2010 10:31am

'Valentine girl' Isa receives love from family and friends on her 100th birthday

Isa Craig, reading one of her many cards she received on her 100th birthday.

Surrounded by as many as 100 friends and family, Mrs. Isa Craig celebrated her 100th birthday at a party on Valentine's Day.

She marked the century surrounded by as many as one person for every year of her life at an event at Mahon's Hotel in Irvinestown.

Well-wishers from as far away as Canada and Hong Kong got in touch to send their birthday greetings on Sunday.

In the month that she was born 100 years ago, Manchester's Old Trafford was opened, Boutros Ghali the Egyptian Prime Minister died and Thomas Edison's "trollyless street car" powered by storage batteries rather than electric wires was publicly demonstrated in New York.

And on the day she was born, 35-year-old Winston Churchill became the Home Secretary in Prime Minister Asquith's cabinet, replacing Herbert Gladstone.

Born in Dunmurry, County Antrim, Mrs. Craig was the fourth out of nine siblings. She is the last surviving member of that generation of her family.

Her father, Jack McGarry, who worked on the Titanic, had lived to the ripe old age of 102.

She puts her longevity down to the excellent care she receives from her family and carers and perhaps inheriting propensity for long-life from her father.

"It is genetic, of course it is," she said. "My family looks after me and sees to all my wants. My friends look after me and, it's in the genes. I could not wish for anything more. I am very happy with life at the moment," she said.

It was her husband who brought her to Fermanagh. He was in the Army and they married in 1940 during the second World War during his two days' leave. It wasn't for another four years that they got to opportunity to see each other again in 1944. "He went abroad in October 1940 and I didn't see him again until October 1944. He was one of the desert rats with Montgomery," she said.

When he was demobbed in 1945, she moved to Fermanagh and the couple settled in Ballinamallard, initially living with his parents.

They went on to have two children: Sarah, who lives in England and Gary, who lives in Enniskillen.

As well as looking after her family, she helped with her husband's electrical contractor business, looking after the books.

Sadly, she was widowed in the 1970s, when her husband was only 65.

On turning 100, she said: "I do not feel any different at all. They were all amazed at me on Sunday and it was nice seeing them all," she said.

Asked about her memorable birth date, she agreed: "Yes, I'm a Valentine's girl".

Over the weekend, Mrs. Craig received a telegram of congratulations from the Queen as well as cards and presents from well-wishers.

"The celebrations haven't ceased. The fun has never ceased. On Sunday I asked all my close friends and all the relatives. There were greetings from Canada and we had a call from Hong Kong. It was absolutely fantastic. Everybody said they had never been to a party like it before. It was really lovely. There must have been 100 attending, maybe more," she said.