A 101-YEAR-OLD great-great-grandmother lit up hearts in her local parish for the second year running when she switched on her local church’s Christmas lights.
Elizabeth Lyons, born in 1922, was the guest of honour at St Mary’s Church where she lit up a giant festive Christmas tree last Friday.
Ms Lyons, who turns 102 on January 3, joined Fr Richie Davern, friends, family, and fellow parishioners for the tree unveiling.
Last year Ms Lyons said she “felt like a film star” after she was guest of honour at the church which honoured her with a live concert celebration.
Born Elizabeth Kelly, the popular centenarian is a regular mass goer at St Mary’s, where she was baptised in the former church grounds as Ireland fell into civil war.
Having laboured 12 children into the world, including her little angel Philomena, who died tragically, Ms Lyons is grandmother to 41 grandchildren, more than 50 great grandchildren, and a bundle of great-great-grandchildren.
“I would say you have more descendants than Moses and Abraham combined,” Fr Davern told her.
She married Martin Lyons in the church, which is located on Athlunkard Street, in 1946. Sadly Martin, a former ship worker, passed away in 1999.
The St Mary’s Prize Fife and Drum Band, founded in 1885, thundered out tunes as Ms Lyons switched on the Christmas tree lights to an even more thunderous applause from all those gathered.
St Mary’s sacristan Gerry Donovan provided Christmas mulled wine for the masses while Irina Dernova led a choir in music and song alongside singer Olive O’Brien and the St Mary’s folk choir.
