Family joy as great-grandmother Mona celebrates 100th birthday

Family joy as great-grandmother Mona celebrates 100th birthday

17 February 2021

THE oldest local person to have received a Covid-19 vaccine has just celebrated her 100th birthday.

Mrs Mona Carlisle, from Ballynahinch, became a centenarian last Friday and marked her big day in lockdown fashion.

A virtual birthday party was held on Zoom with family members from Ballynahinch, Crossgar, Saintfield, Dromore, Glasgow and London toasting Mrs Carlisle on her special day.

Her family also created a digital memory book for the occasion and she received a birthday card from The Queen.

Mrs Carlisle, who is well-known for running Shaw’s shop in Ballynahinch, also received the traditional celebratory card from Queen Elizabeth.

In 1948 Mrs Carlisle married her late husband, James, who passed away in 2011. The couple had five children – John, Roy, William, David and Margaret. There are also 14 grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren with another baby on the way.

Mrs Carlisle made the headlines last month when she became one of the oldest people in Northern Ireland to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.

Now living with her daughter after living independently for years, Mrs Carlisle revealed the secret to her longevity: “I enjoy every single minute of the day.”