Cork triplets celebrate the big 40

Donal Hickey

And, yes, even people they know well still get confused, especially between Bernadette and Anne.

They were born in the Erinville Hospital, Cork, on January 8, 1965, and are the third eldest in the family of John and Bernadette Keohane, of Tullineaskey, Clonakilty. The couple had ten children six girls and four boys.

The triplets, all married and living in different parts of Co Cork, celebrated their 40th birthdays together in Killarney at the weekend.

Always very close, they keep in constant touch with one another. "We really enjoy one another's company," all agreed.

Bernadette, married to James Nagle, is in Rosscarbery; Anne, married to Connie Carroll, lives in Charleville; while Angela, married to Jerry Kelly, resides in Clonakilty.

When Mrs Keohane brought home her bundles of joy all those years ago, things were fairly hectic in the family's three-bedroom bungalow, but the new arrivals didn't take long to settle in.

They were the second set of triplets in the area, with the three Draper sisters, living half a mile up the road, born about nine years earlier. The Keohane and Draper families have always been good friends.

"From what we're told, we just fitted in with the rest of the family when we came home. It was certainly a busy house when we were all growing up," said Anne.

"With our father, mother and grandmother, there were 13 people in a three-bedroom bungalow. Several of us children would share a bed. We walked three miles to school in Lissavaird and were always together.

"We had no television, but we had an awful lot of fun together, which is one of the advantages of being part of a large family," she added.

The triplets also said they got on fine without outings, holidays and expensive toys. They played cowboys and Indians with their brothers and have particularly happy memories of walking to the beach with their father, who worked at Lissavaird creamery, on Sundays.

A bag of chips for each member of the family was a regular Sunday treat.

Though the sisters eventually went their separate ways Anne and Angela each have two children they still meet for shopping trips together and a chat.

"Life begins at 40," Anne declared to a chorus of agreement.