Co Cork's youngest grandmother is just 33 years old

33-year-old Deborah Murphy became a grandmother at the turn of the new year when her 17-year-old daughter gave birth.Deborah Murphy Vocalist, Facebook

Sunday, March 22, is Mother's Day! What better way to mark it than celebrating Ireland's youngest grandmother (who won this title over New Years 2019). Happy Mother's Day!

Deborah Murphy became a grandmother at the turn of the new year and joins the ranks as one of Ireland's youngest grandparents. Murphy, 33, is thought to be Co Cork’s youngest grandmother after her 17-year-old daughter gave birth around the turn of the new year.

Murphy, a talented vocalist, spoke with Cork’s Red FM about her experience becoming a grandmother at a relatively young age, a journey she herself went through.

Murphy told The Irish Mirror: “It was a shock at the start, knowing I was going to become a grandmother, but it is lovely, I am very happy.

“There is a beautiful little girl coming home soon and we are all so excited, she was six weeks early so she is still in the hospital.”

Fellow Co Cork woman Phillipa Nairn also became a grandmother at the age of 33 when her 16-year-old daughter Stephanie gave birth to her first child five years ago.

Stephanie, who is now 22 and has two young children, told The Irish Mirror: “They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, but in our case, the apple never actually fell off the tree at all."

In an Instagram post, Stephanie engaged with her followers about the "controversy" that surrounds being a teen mom, and encouraged other teens to use protection, but also advised young moms to seek resources when needed.

In 2018, Ian O’Brien, a native of Dublin, also became a grandfather at the age of only 33. However for O'Brien, becoming a father as a teen wasn't an easy experience, and looking back, he says he wasn't prepared. He told The Irish Sun that he's making up for lost time with his grandchildren.

However, the 33-year-old grandparents were all beaten by a long shot in 2015 when The Independent reported a 29-year-old, who did not want her name published, became a grandmother when her 14-year-old daughter became pregnant.

Did you become a parent or grandparent at a young age? Share your experience in the comments.

* Originally published in January 2020.

Co Cork’s youngest grandmother is 33 years old