This was the amazing and promising moment that grandmother-of-ten Annie Lynch became the FIRST person in Ireland to be administered with the Covid-19 vaccine.
The brave 79-year-old woman - who is Dublin through and through - received the jab at St. James's Hospital at around 1:30pm on Tuesday.
An ICU nurse working on the Covid ward was given the vaccine first but Granny Annie was administered with the jab shortly after, becoming the first non healthcare worker to be vaccinated.
Annie was born in Christchurch and grew up in the Liberties before raising her family just a few miles up the road in Drimnagh.
Sadly, Annie's husband John passed away in September of this year but is still surrounded by her three children and grandkids.
One of her ten grandchildren is a health care worker in St. James's and was with her for the unprecedented moment.
She is currently a resident at St. James's in the Mercer’s Institute for Successful Ageing.
After the event, Annie said: “I feel very privileged to be the first person in Ireland to receive the vaccine.
"Like everyone else I have been waiting for the vaccine and I really feel like there is a bit of hope there now.
"It’s brilliant that it’s here. Everything was explained very clearly to me beforehand."
Beaumont Hospital and St. James's in Dublin as well as Cork University Hospital and University Hospital Galway will begin vaccinating the Pfizer BioNTech jab in Ireland from today, Tuesday December 29.
Around 10,000 doses of the vaccine arrived on St Stephen's Day with Ireland aiming to jab as many as 20,000 people a week from early January.
Chair of the Covid-19 vaccination taskforce Brian MacCraith gave some information about the first vaccinated person this morning
He said: "The very first person to receive the vaccination in Ireland is a patient called Annie.
"She's 79, she was born in Christchurch and grew up in the Liberties.
"Sadly her husband passed away earlier this year, just four weeks before her admission in October.
"I'm told Annie is delighted to be getting the vaccine and feels very privileged to be the first person in Ireland to receive it."
He added: "It's a great story and it's so important that those who suffered most in the Covid-19 pandemic are prioritised here."
