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.