Legendary ‘Woman of Aran’ dies, aged 109

THE original ‘Woman of Aran’ died yesterday in a nursing home in Galway, aged 109.

Brigid Dirrane passed away peacefully in the early hours of yesterday morning, according to staff in the home. She was the second-oldest woman in Ireland.

Ms Dirrane, who was born in November 1894, saw some of the most turbulent moments in recent history. She was imprisoned during the War of Independence, and spent time in Mountjoy Prison, where she witnessed the hangings of both Kevin Barry and Thomas Whelan. She emigrated to the US in 1927, and canvassed for John F Kennedy during her time in Boston. In 1996, Ms Dirrane became the oldest person in the world to be awarded an honorary degree. She wrote her autobiography, called Woman of Aran, at the age of 103.