A MUCH-loved school secretary was given a heartfelt send off by pupils and staff after 30 years of friendly and dedicated service.

Eileen Wilson received a host of farewell gifts, bouquets of flowers and three stirring shouts of 'Hooray!' as she bowed out from her duties at St Andrews Primary at a packed morning assembly.

Mrs Wilson — who has been a mainstay of the school for eight years — also worked at St Gabriel's for 21 years and Holy Cross for two years during her longstanding career.

But now she's looking forward to doing more of her hobbies of painting and crafts, as well as taking up a whole new pastime.

Mrs Wilson joked: "I'll be looking for holidays outside the school holiday times and getting some cheap deals!"

Giving some context to her working years, St Andrew's head teacher Alan Connick told the children that their parents would have been among the pupils Mrs Wilson would have seen from day-to-day at the other schools.

Mr Connick said: "She is always smiling and always welcoming."

Mrs Wilson's husband, David, and daughter, Laura, were in attendance to see the school doing her proud on her final day.

The assembly included a superb rendition of the song 'How Far I'll Go' from the Disney movie Moana by the St Andrew's Glee Club.

Mrs Wilson drew the Easter Egg raffle but every pupil was a winner on the day because she'd bought chocolate for all of them.

She told the Tele: "I've had lots of fun, the kids really make me laugh.

"I'll miss them all.

"It was just so special today."

Her first planned vacation out of school holiday times will be a visit to Australia to see her grandchildren David and Tomás, son, David, and daughter-in-law Niamh.

Mrs Wilson said: "I'm sad to be leaving the school but I'm looking forward to my retirement."