We are constantly being bombarded with ways to look and feel young, from botox to chemical peels, fad diets and multi-vitamins, and everything in between. But what is the real key to feeling young at heart, even when you're 100?
Michael O'Connor from Co. Kerry is 100-years-young, and is a sharp as they come. A fan of a "good documentary" and Fair City, from time to time, (although he admits the soap hasn't been the same since the O'Riordans left), Michael insists that "age is just a number."
He retired on January 1, 1979, as a radio officer for air traffic control in Ballygirreen, Co. Clare, and not a day goes by where Michael doesn't "embrace life to the fullest."
"It's all about how you look at life", he told TEN. "I'm still doing my garden. This year, I'm calling it a day with the vegetables. I'm still driving and I'm still as active as anyone could be."
So what's Michael's secret? "I would say with reasonable confidence, the best advice I could give, is moderation in everything. There's no need to go overboard, whether it's drinking, socialising, or whatever it is. There's always the word 'stop'. Don't be afraid to use it."
As well as his non-smoking lifestyle and two spoonfuls of cod liver oil a day, Michael stressed the importance of exercise in his daily routine.
"Open-air exercise is essential. I recommend some form of manual exercise for at least two hours a day, or as near as possible to it. My usual phrase is 'If you want to dig a big hole in your garden today, and fill it in tomorrow, you're doing yourself a good turn.'"
Michael's wife Joan, who he wed in 1949, sadly passed away in 2008, but he believes that she lives on in their ten "brilliant" grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Speaking about his family, he said: "It's hard not to boast about them. There are pleasures in life, and when you are fortunate enough to have them, they have to be appreciated and acknowledged."
You can find out more about Michael's life story by watching his interview with RTÉ's Nationwide. Click the link on the right.
Michael in Calcutta in the early 1940s as a radio officer for Marconi
Michael O Connor (right) a prefect (indicated by the stripes) while training in Bridlington, England with Tutor Mr Bowles (left) and students (1936)
