Women are at the heart of the matter, explains Marese McDonagh
WOMEN AS always might just hold the key. The men of Leitrim are still scratching their heads over the cruel twist of fate that has given their neighbours across the county border an extra four years to live.
But while Roscommon men have been joking that being further away from Dublin and having a better sense of humour is their key to a long life, it seems that the women of the county may be keeping both sexes around for longer.
One expert believes that the high proportion of single men living alone in Leitrim might explain the baffling statistics.
Isolation and poverty cast a shadow over the lives of many men living alone in rural north Leitrim, according to Joel Smith who has done detailed research on this issue for the North Leitrim Men's Group.
"It is true that married men live longer than single men and, funnily enough, the reverse is also true - single women live longer," he says.
Which brings us neatly to Mary Casey who was 100 years old when she finally moved out of her own home in Boyle, Co Roscommon and who now, at 103, is one of the most independent residents of the local nursing home.
"Of course Mary never married," ponders the (married) nurse on duty as she tries to assess the key to the retired nurse's good health and spirits. Mary can regularly be seen pushing the wheelchair of other residents of the Plunkett home - themselves kids in their 70s and 80s.
Mind you, in the week that Leitrim men were given so much food for thought, the front page of the Leitrim Observerfeatured the story of local woman Mary Ellen Cullen's 100th birthday celebrations - a woman who definitely cannot attribute her long life to a lack of family responsibilities.
Married at 17 (to a lucky Roscommon man), Mary Ellen has 12 children, 50 grandchildren, 90 great grandchildren and 14 great great grandchildren. Incidentally, her secret for a long life is quite simple - she never worries.
While there has been much huffing and puffing about the fact that men living on the right side of the bridge in Carrick-on-Shannon will have four years more than their neighbours, a stone's throw away, Joel Smith believes a more detailed analysis of the figures would probably show that the poor prognosis for Leitrim men would be found further afield in the rural parishes where there is a disproportionately high level of single men.
Or maybe the men and women of Roscommon just have more willpower. Like Mary Kate Hanmore from Boyle. She decided 12 years ago to look after herself and gave up the cigarettes. She was 87 at the time and is still going strong as she enjoys her 100th year.