Martina Devlin: From a one-man attack on a German sub in Bantry to Nazi parachutists disguised as nuns - the oral history of an Irish centenarian

"Nothing brings history to life like the direct experience of those who lived through it."

"My father-in-law, still thriving at the age of 100, was a seven-month-old baby in his family's Cork household when the new Irish State's first census was conducted a century ago."

Centenarians like my father-in-law offer invaluable insights into the past, having lived through significant historical events. At 100 years old, he recalls being a baby during the first census of the new Irish State. His experiences illustrate how much the world has transformed over the last century while also highlighting enduring aspects of life that remain unchanged.

Read at Independent