Bishop and Mayor join Donegal woman’s 100th St Patrick’s Day birthday celebration

St Patrick’s Day 2026 was a very special occasion for Paddy Alcorn as she celebrated her 100th birthday.

Named Patricia after the patron saint on whose feast day she was born in 1926, the Donegal Town woman is best known in the community as Paddy.

She attended the St Patrick’s Day service at the parish church in Donegal, which was attended by Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Andrew Forster. After church a party was held to mark the momentous occasion with family, friends and fellow parishioners.

Ven. David Huss said: “Congratulations to Paddy. We were delighted to celebrate her 100th birthday with here on St Patrick’s Day. 

“She is inspirational, a special lady in our parish community.”

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Mayor of Donegal Town Anna Gallagher took a break from helping with the St Patrick’s Day preparations in Donegal to call in to the celebrations and to wish Paddy well.

“She is a fantastic lady,” said Anna. “It was a joy to celebrate her 100th birthday. I wish her all the very best.”

Paddy has lived most of her life in Donegal Town, where her late husband Sandy was a school Principal in the Glebe NS. She is well known and highly respected throughout the community.

Her birth in 1926 coincided with a time of cautious optimism in Ireland. Times were very hard and economic emigration was high, but independence had been gained, the civil war was over and the state had been established. Ireland was a nation that was finding its feet, cementing its identity, and developing its own social and economic policies. 

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Paddy has certainly seen a lot of changes in her century of life in Donegal.