Margaret’s life comes ‘full circle’ with move back to Omagh area

AN Omagh nursing home has warmly welcomed a special new resident who celebrated her 100th birthday by moving back to her beloved Tyrone.

The day after becoming a centenarian last Thursday, Margaret Butler left her Northamptonshire home and travelled over to Springlawn Nursing Home in Omagh.

Margaret’s connection to Tyrone runs deep; along with roots in Drumquin, her sister-in-law, Sylvia Roxborough, is also a fellow resident of Springlawn and her niece, Linda, is a co-owner.

As Margaret continues to settle in, her son, Chris MacLeavy, explained his mother’s determination to return once more to Tyrone, in what could be viewed as a ‘full circle moment’.

He said, “My cousin is one of the owners of Springlawn Nursing Home in Omagh, and that’s the reason why mum ended up moving in there.”

Chris shared an insight into his mother’s rich and impressive life, both in Ireland and across the globe.

“My mum came from County Antrim but lived for a long time in Drumquin outside Omagh; her uncle was a farmer there,” recalled Chris.

“That’s where we used to go as kids for our holidays; I believe it was called Kirlish House.”

During the Second World War, Margaret left Drumquin aged 16 and subsequently joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF).

“Mum worked as a female mechanic during the war and that’s where she met my dad, George MacLeavy – he was in the air force as well,” Chris continued.

“They then were married around the end of the war in 1944 and mum travelled with my dad all around the world.

“My dad was air crew on coastal command and was required to travel extensively, so he and my mum lived in places like Sri Lanka, Singapore and Malta for a couple of years at a time.

“He actually did a tour of duty in Derry/Londonderry too and was based in Ballykelly for a time when that was a coastal command base.”

During these years, Margaret welcomed her three children; Susan born in 1946, Chris in 1951 and Pauline, who was born in Malta in 1961.

While the couple parted ways in the late 1960s, Margaret later found a beautiful companion in Geoff Butler.

Chris added, “Mum lived in Kettering, Northhamptonshire, since around 1976 and she and Geoff were the landlord and landlady of a few pubs until around 1989 when she retired.”