Sarah Coyle, believed to be Ireland’s oldest person, has died aged 108, just ten days before her 109th birthday.
Ms Coyle passed away peacefully on Monday surrounded by her family at her daughter’s home in Castleknock, Dublin. She was born on July 24, 1916, and had been living with her daughter Marian Gilligan.
Her grandson Thomas confirmed she died peacefully with loved ones by her side.
Born in County Wicklow, Ms Coyle carried vivid childhood memories of the Black and Tans operations in her area, as well as the War of Independence and Civil War period. She later married and settled in Drumcondra, where she raised four children, though two sadly died as newborns.
Longevity appeared to run in Ms Coyle’s family. Her sister Lily was 103 years old in April, while her brother Andy lived to 101.
In an interview with the Irish Times earlier this year, her daughter shared stories of Ms Coyle’s remarkable life spanning more than a century of Irish history, from the revolutionary period through to modern times.
Ms Coyle’s death leaves Ireland seeking to identify its new oldest resident.