Busy Eithne embraces new role in retired group

Retirement is not the same experience for everyone but one city based woman plans to use her new role to encourage as many as she can to enjoy it as much as she does.

Many of the city’s retirees will know Eithne Carey already as she was the President of Active Retirement Ireland (ARI) eight years ago and at last week’s AGM, she became its Vice-President.

Eithne has lived in Renmore for 20 years and feels as much at home there as she did in her native Manchester, where she reared three children and worked full-time.

After her first marriage ended in divorce she rekindled an old friendship with Meath man, Larry Carey who became her second husband.

Asked how she met Larry she replies: “Oh that’s a long story but we knew each other a long time ago. My mum is from Sligo and I have a brother living in Dublin for years so I used to visit Ireland a lot.”

Being the adventurous type who believes life is not a dress rehearsal, she didn’t think twice about moving to Galway, where Larry had worked as headmaster of the Holy Family School.

Her two sons and daughter were reared and she embraced her new life in Galway. As it wasn’t her style to sit idly at home she volunteered to work with the Galway Hospice in the office, which she loved. She also worked in a paid job doing more or less what she had been doing in n England until it was time for her to retire.

And again Eithne wasn’t one to sit at home, so she and two others, Eithne O’Toole and Siobhan McMurray decided to form the Renmore Active Retirement group in 1997.

“That came out of me taking computer classes in another active retirement group across the city in Knocknacarra with the late Billy Pope. After a while, he suggested we start our own one and he was very helpful. And we did.

“It’s a great way to meet people and it is an especially good way for people living on their own to get out and meet other people. “We have a number of activities from bridge to indoor bowls to computer and art classes to social events. There is something going on every night. You can be as active as you want or just go whenever you want,” she explains.

She loves the annual festival called Arra Go On which takes place in October.

“I love the name of it and I love how the computer course currently running for our members in the university here is called ‘computers for the terrified’.”

Eithne doesn’t look or sound her age. Neither does she come across as someone who would be terrified of anything, least of all computers. She is one of those people who believe you are as young as you feel. 

“I think life is wonderful and that life is for living. I am blessed by having the most wonderful husband who spoils me but perhaps I was born with that attitude. Life is certainly not a dress rehearsal. You only get one shot at it so you might as well live it well.”

It is not surprising then, with her positive attitude and her talent for bringing people with her that the national executive of ARI were so happy to see Eithne as Vice President.

Its CEO, Maureen Kavanagh was quoted as saying she looked forward to working closely with Eithne in areas of membership, development and advocacy, given her past experience as President.Nationally the network celebrates its 35th anniversary next year. In that time it has not only provided local outlets for retired people to keep active but has also worked to change the perception of what it is to be retired.

“I was lucky because I retired when I wanted to, which was when I had to at retirement age, but there are a lot more people now being forced to take early retirement and it’s very hard for them. It must be a very scary and frightening time for them.

“My heart goes out to those who are retired much earlier than they expected, especially the men who don’t seem to know what to do with themselves once they stop working. They are notorious for not joining. 

For more, read this week's Galway City Tribune.