Lyra recalls her childhood bullies showing up to her concert

Cork singer Lyra is often described as a 'powerhouse' and creates the illusion that no one could dull her shine. However, the star has revealed that she was on the receiving end of some brutal bullying in her school days.

The 31-year-old opened up about the fear she felt when her childhood bullies stood front row at one of her concerts, explaining that she was 'so scared' by the ordeal.

Lyra, whose real name is Laura McNamara, recalled the terrifying moment that some of the girls who would 'pull her hair at the bus stop', appeared at her show, during an interview with the Irish Independent.

'A few of them came to one of my shows and they just walked straight up through the crowd and stood in the front. I was so scared. My sister was there and she’s my protector, so she came right up and stood next to them. And I was like, ‘I’m going to be OK,’ she recounted.

The singer went on to detail the bullying that she endured, all because she 'stood out'. Lyra explained that there were weeks when she would avoid going into the town, as she was so scared that she would be beaten up.

Reflecting on her childhood, Lyra would ask herself: 'Why did you make me feel so bad? Why did you want to beat me up? Why did you make my summers hell in the village? Why didn’t you leave me alone?’ She now stands on stage and thinks: 'Look at me now'.

The singer's debut LP, titled Lyra, knocked Beyoncé’s country album Cowboy Carter off the top of the Irish album charts in April, a feat that told the Cork singer: 'I am going to be OK'.