A Co Donegal centenarian has marked her 109th birthday, reflecting on a life that spanned two World Wars and saw her indulge in alcohol just once – to fend off the Spanish flu in 1918. Ruby Druce, born in 1915 and believed to be Ireland’s oldest living person, celebrated her 109th birthday on New Year’s Eve.
She holds the unique distinction of being the only Irish survivor of two global pandemics: the Spanish flu of 1918-20 and the recent Covid-19 crisis from 2019-23. Ruby, who abstained from smoking and drinking throughout her life, except for a single swig of poitín during the Spanish flu outbreak, expressed amazement at her longevity, saying: “I never thought in all my years of living that I would live as long.”
She credits her long life to regular walking, hard work, and taking cod liver oil capsules.
Ruby met her husband, Jim Druce, a Scottish musician, at the tender age of 14 in 1929. They became childhood sweethearts and eventually tied the knot in 1956.
Ruby Druce with her moped in her youth
(Image: North West Newspix)
The couple cherished their rides to the coastal town of Bundoran in Donegal on Jim’s Honda 50 motorbike. Ruby’s working life started early; she left school at 14 to join a local shirt factory, where she remained for over 40 years before leaving to look after her father George, a shoemaker by trade, reports the Irish Mirror.
The well-known country singer Daniel O’Donnell, aged 63, has formed a close bond with Ruby over the years, making it a tradition to serenade her with ‘Happy Birthday’ annually. During his 2024 visit, the pair shared a duet of ‘The Homes of Donegal’, much to the delight of Ruby.
Martin Harran, who is now looking after his aunt-in-law Ruby since her fall and hip injury this year, recounted the poignant history that dramatically affected her family. He told how two of Ruby’s siblings sadly passed away from Spanish flu, which swept through just after the end of the Second World War.
“She’s a very special lady. The most significant event for Ruby’s family was the arrival of the Spanish flu. Although Ruby was just short of her third birthday, she vividly remembers James with his blond curly hair and the two coffins in the house.”
He continued with a heart-warming tale: “She herself fondly tells the story of how she escaped the Spanish flu by her father giving her a couple of teaspoons of poitín, the only time in her life when she tasted alcohol. Ruby has been a pioneer for 94 years which must be another record.”
Ruby Druce with singer Daniel O’Donnell and his wife Majella
The spirited centenarian from Castlefinn in Donegal, born on the last day of 1915, was the firstborn out of five to George Crawford and Elizabeth (née McBride). On her landmark 100th birthday, Ruby generously donated her Presidential centenarian’s cheque to local charities, proving her kind nature.
Over her lifetime, she has been honoured to receive nine commemorative coins from the President of Ireland.
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