Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Skyper (95) Wins Silver Surfer Award

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Skyper (95) Wins Silver Surfer Award

    SKYPER (95) WINS SILVER SURFER AWARD

    Irish Times
    Monday, September 28, 2009, 16:41

    Marguerite Faulkner (95) from Cookstown, Co Tyrone, after being named
    the Age Action Ireland Silver Surfer of the Year at a conference in
    Croke Park today. Photograph: Cyril Byrne

    FIONA GARTLAND

    The old cliche of never being able to teach an old dog new tricks
    was firmly disproved this afternoon at the Silver Surfer of the Year
    awards in Dublin.

    The old cliche of never being able to teach an old dog new tricks
    was firmly disproved this afternoon at the Silver Surfer of the Year
    awards in Dublin.

    A 95-year-old Co Tyrone woman took the top award having mastered a
    computer she got from her family for Christmas and learned how to
    Skype her great-grandchildren.

    Marguerite Faulkner, from Cookstown, now uses the computer to surf
    the net, send emails and communicate with her seven grandchildren
    and two great-grandchildren via Skype

    She has also completed a digital photography course and when not on her
    computer, likes to use the "brain training" games on her games console.

    Minister for Older People Áine Brady presented the award to Ms Faulkner
    at the IMAGINE IT! Conference in Croke Park today.

    Ms Faulkner fought off competition from two other finalists; Mabel
    Gargan (87) a self-taught computer user who surfs every day, and Tom
    Crotty (75), who records his own songs using music editing software.

    Four other awards were presented at the event. Marie O'Gorman (75),
    Walkinstown, Dublin took the award for Most Dedicated IT Learner. She
    began to learn about computers when her daughter moved to Armenia
    with her husband and young family to do humanitarian work. She is a
    volunteer in the local school, teaching the children to knit and sew
    and she downloads patterns from the internet and prints them off for
    her weekly classes.

    Charlie Byrne, Donnybrook, Dublin was the Group Communicator of the
    Year. He runs a website and electronic newsletter for RTE pensioners.

    The Passionate Hobbyist of the Year was John O'Toole (86), ori cial
    keyboard with large keys. He has an interest in local history and
    uses the internet for research.

    Stella Connor, Drogheda, Co Louth took the award for IT Volunteer of
    the Year.

    The winners received prizes of IT products.

    Up to 300 people attended the conference organised by older people's
    charity, Age Action. The charity expects to train 5,000 older people
    in computer and mobile phone usage by the end of the year as part of
    its Getting Started programme.
Working...
X