Tralee Man Celebrates 100th Birthday

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Roger Harty pays tribute to his uncle Colm, a former Austin Stacks player, who celebrates his 100th birthday today in Dublin…

Colm Harty who turns 100 today.

Today, the 22nd of July 2017, is a very special day in the life of Colm Harty who hails from Tralee, as it was on this day exactly 100 years ago that he was born.

He is one of 11 siblings born to Tom and Julia Harty who lived in The Mall and also for a while in Day Place Tralee.

The others were brothers Tom, Maurice, Roger, Fionan and sisters Ena, Kathleen, Feena, Elizabeth, Mary and another younger sister Mary who died in infancy.

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Fionan and Tom ran successful pharmacies in town while Roger ran a public house, Harty’s bar where the Rose of Tralee festival was founded.

Colm himself had a very successful career with The Bank Of Ireland where he was very dedicated to his job and worked his way up to the higher echelons of the bank.

He has spent most of his life in Dublin, married to Sally where they reared four children,  Catherine, Caroline, Paul and Mary who will certainly be celebrating this wondrous milestone today along with his many grandchildren, friends and relations.

Colm has lived life very simply and has a great attitude. An example of this was when he worked for for a while in Killarney he used to cycle over and back to Tralee at weekends.

One great story was when his nephew went to him for advice as he was considering a career change. His nephew was afraid that he would be missed by the institution he was working for and was wondering what he should do.

Colm told him to picture a bucket of water in his mind, to put his foot into it, then remove it and to look at the water afterwards and see if he noticed a difference. That is how much you will be missed he advised. Truly great words of wisdom from a great man.

Colm has great connections with Tralee, in fact he was born in the very year that Austin Stacks club was founded and is now the oldest living former player with the club.

Colm won a SF Co. Championship medal with the Rock in 1936. He was just 17 years old when he made his SF Co. Championship debut on the 4th November 1934 in that season’s semi final against John Mitchels.

When that 1936 winning team celebrated the 50th anniversary of that famous victory in 1986, Colm is pictured in an iconic photograph alongside his former team colleagues Paddy Drummond and Tim Roundy Landers.

Colm was also a very keen golfer, playing out of Elm Park Golf Club he has a single figure handicap and one of his great feats was to get a ‘Hole In One’ when he was in his late eighties.

Colm’s sister Mary is the only other one of the 11 siblings still living and she resides in South Carolina in the United States.

So Colm, have a fabulous 100th birthday knowing that all your friends in Tralee and beyond are thinking of you today and also don’t forget to enjoy the centenarian bounty cheque you received from the President of Ireland, President Michael D Higgins. Many Congratulations.