Jim reflects on 100 years… fuelled by cod liver oil!

Jim Keenan reflects on a life full of ‘twists and turns – while attributing his longevity to cod liver oil!

Born on February 9, 1924, the Beragh man is probably best know as the proprietor of JJ Keenan Motors, one of the most successful car dealerships in the North during the 1960s and 1970s.

Jim’s family relocated to Sixmilecross from Maine back in 1929.

Despite humble beginnings, he found his footing, starting with a job at the Sixmilecross Co-Op at the age of 13.

His early years were marked by hard work, determination, and a curiosity about the world around him.

“My father worked at shoes and bicycles,” he said. “We, initially, lived at Maine, which was just a roadside, and nobody had any money. Coming to Sixmilecross was a big change because there were a lot more people around, especially on the Fair Day.”

The family established a shoe repair shop on Sixmilecross Main Street and Jim attended Aughnaglea School.

“I was a bit tongue-tied at that time, and one day the school inspector came in and told the teacher that I’d never be able to read or write.

“How wrong he was!”

At just 13-years-old, Jim left school embarked on his first job at the Sixmilecross Co-Op, where he earned a meagre wage of 12 and a half pence per week.

“Sixmilecross was a great village at that time,” he said.

“There were no set working hours, we just finished in the Co-Op at whatever time the people stopped coming in. But you still were expected to be there at 9am the next morning.”

By the early 1940s, with Europe firmly in the grip of World War II, Jim had acquired mechanical skills and worked at fixing and maintaining tractors and motorcycles.

He also ‘took the notion’ of joining the RAF, but the prospect of an early grave put him off the idea.

“Myself and a friend went to Omagh one Monday to join the RAF. The recruiting officers were there the first three days of every month.

“But then I realised that there was little hope for a pilot.

“I thought that if I joined up, I’d be under a headstone in France. Thank God I changed my mind,” he added.

This decision would shape the course of Jim’s future… but not before a brush with death much closer to home.

Aged in his 20s, Jim was involved in a serious motorcycle accident, and spent six weeks in Tyrone County Hospital.

“This was just before the NHS was introduced, so I had to pay for my own treatment!” he said.

Upon his recovery, Jim began to find purpose in his passion for motorcycles and cars, setting the stage for a lifelong journey in the motor industry.

In the post-war era, Jim’s entrepreneurial spirit blossomed as he ventured into the world of car sales, where he rose to prominence as the owner of JJ Keenan Motors.

“We sold Hillman, Humber, Singer and Sunbeam cars from our base at Cooley between Beragh and Sixmilecross,” said Jim.

“In one particular year during the 1970s, we sold the most cars our of anywhere in the North.”

Amidst the hustle and bustle of his business, Jim found companionship in Nora Kilpatrick, a girl from Stewartstown, with whom he enjoyed a happy marriage until her passing six years ago.

As Jim approaches his centenary in good health, preparing to celebrate with friends and neighbours, there’s a quiet acknowledgment of a simple ritual that has sustained him through the years.

Although he is a lifelong teetotaller, when asked about the source of his longevity, Jim responded, “A daily dose of cod liver oil!”