Sunday, June 16, 2013

Dennis Coorobee, Ballindangin, Athenry, Ireland, 1804

Lately, at Groves*, near Athenry, Ireland, of a short illness, Mr. Dennis Coorobee, of Ballindangin, aged 117, a truly honest man. he retained his faculties to the last, and until two days previous to his death, he never remembered to have any complaint or sickness whatever, (tooth-ache only excepted). Three weeks before his death, he walked from his house to Galway, and back the same day, which is 26 miles. He could, to the last, read the smallest print without the assistance of glasses, which he never accustomed himself to, with as much ease as a boy of 16. It has been acknowledge by the most intelligent men in that kingdom, that, for the present age, he was the most experienced farmer, and the brightest genius for the improvement of agriculture: it is upwards of 70 years since he propagated that most useful article to the human species, called the black potatoe. He was married seven times, and when married the last, was 98* years old -- by them all he had 48 children, 236 grand children, 944 great grand children, and 25 great great grand children, the oldest of whom is four years old -- and his own youngest son (by his last wife) is about 18 years old.

*Ink blobs on original newspaper made this difficult to read.

Lancaster Gazette, Saturday, 01 Dec 1804, page 3

No comments:

Post a Comment