It was a case of better ‘Late Late’ than never for an east Donegal mum and her daughter!

For the past ten years, Aurora McAlynn (nee McCormick) from Crossroads, Killygordon has been ‘religiously’ applying for precious tickets to RTE’s famous Toy Show.

She decided to throw in the towel this year. 

Aurora, who runs Aurora’s Hobbits pre-school, had even planned to go away this weekend with husband, Aiden.

However, unbeknownst to her, mum Cathy Noonan-McCormick secretly applied.

And, on Tuesday, the mature PLC student in Childcare at Finn Valley College received a rather unexpected call from RTE.

“I just could not believe it when the person on the other end of the phone said they were calling me from the Late Late Show about my ticket application,” Cathy told Donegal Daily.

“Aurora has been entering for the two of us for ten years. But, she was unsuccessful, until I did it this year!” 

Cathy said Aurora was in ‘pure shock’ when she gave her the good news yesterday.

“But, she gave me the biggest hug ever. I was crying, I was that far through. We will be talking to Ryan (Tubridy) tomorrow night,” she added.

Aurora has just graduated with a BA honours degree in early childhood care and education, and Cathy said this was her present to her daughter. 

We asked Cathy if she was giving the second golden ticket to Aurora’s husband.

“No way,” she replied.

“Aurora has been applying for the two of us for ten years – these tickets are for the two of us!”

So, Aiden will have to stay at home and watch the biggest TV show of the year with their three children, Caiden (8), Anaiyah (5) and Jaxx who is just one.

Cathy will also be leaving her husband, Kieran, behind with their youngest boy, Neo (14).

Their other three, big, kids will no doubt be tuning in from Canada and London where they are now based.