Meet the 85-year-old flying high in the Roscommon skies

Over the course of that hazy period between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve when nobody knows what day of the week it is, chances are there were a fair few boxes of chocolate open or turkey dinners devoured.

For many it’s a chance to right to sit back and relax, but 85-year-old Marjorie Quinn, spent that period fulfilling a dream.

The Liverpool native visited Roscommon over the Christmas period to see her daughter-in-law Sharon Quinn, who hails from Frenchpark and instead of simply sitting by the fire, Marjorie instead took the opportunity to complete her first flying lesson at Tibohine Airfield under the watchful eye of James Morrisroe.

Her interest in planes stemmed from her brother, James Wilcock, who served in the Royal Air Force (RAF).

Marjorie told the Roscommon Herald that the discussion surrounding her taking a flying lesson came up by chance.

“The topic of flying came up in passing and then I was introduced to James (Morrisroe). He said would you like to have a fly around and he took me up. That was a year ago or so. When I was back in Roscommon over Christmas I went out and saw him. He showed me what I needed to do,” she explained.

Marjorie believes that Tibohine Flying Club and James Morrisroe helped her to fulfil a lifelong ambition. Her inspiring story is a reminder that it's never too late to try something new and even, perhaps, take to the skies.