An East Clare woman has broken the record as the oldest person ever born on the island of Ireland.
Last year, United States resident Kathleen Snavely made history as the oldest person ever from the Republic of Ireland but now, over a month after her 113th birthday, she has taken the title as the oldest person from the island of Ireland since records began, passing out Tyrone woman Annie Scott .
Kathleen Hayes Rollins Snavley was born in Feakle on February 16, 1902 and is a distant relation of renowned fiddle player Martin Hayes and former Mayor of Clare Pat Hayes.
Originally from Garraun, Kathleen left when she was 19 in September 1921 from Cobh and went to her uncle in Syracuse, New York State. While there, she met and married her husband Roxie Rollins, who died in 1968, aged 66. The Clare woman later married Pennsylvania businessman Jesse Snavely. After he died she returned to Syracuse, where she still lives.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.