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By Michelle Crean

With beeping horns and traffic back to back - it certainly wasn’t the 90th celebrations one Headford lady had planned last Friday – but Sheila O’Leary certainly will remember it!

Sheila from Beheenagh, who has eleven children, 26 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren was hoping for a large family gathering in the Height Hotels in Killarney, where she celebrated her 80th in style. She was hoping to be joined by her sister Ana Nash from London who was due to travel over with 10 family members.

Unfortunately, due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, Sheila who lives at home with her son Fr Gerard, is ‘cocooning’ and thought there would be no way to mark the very special day.

However, her family had other plans and surprised with a ‘drive-by birthday’ instead as they beeped and waved before physically distancing in the yard of her home to sing ‘Happy Birthday’. The moment was captured on video on the day by her granddaughter Muiríosa O’Leary.

“The drive-by birthday idea was by her son Dan O’Leary,” Sheila’s grandson Padraig O’Sullivan told the Killarney Advertiser.

“She's cocooning at home but came out to the back door to blow out the candles of her cake which was made by her granddaughter and godchild Sheila.”

Video messages were compiled by her granddaughter Mary O’Sullivan which included loving words from her family, neighbours and friends, including her grandson Conor Dineen all the way from Dubai.

“We actually had to have one more blast of ‘Happy Birthday’ before we left the yard for her granddaughter Mary Lane who turned 32 the same day!”

For now a bigger celebration is postponed with the family hoping they can get-together in August or late September once the health restrictions are lifted.

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