The Rembrance Tree
The Remembrance Tree with the names of dearly departed loved one
The column for Tuesday, December 10th had been allotted to The Remembrance Tree as we planned to signpost the renewal of the wonderful Carlow Christmas tradition of placing a ribbon of remembrance on the Rotary Club tree on Barrack Street. Then Bennekerry-Tinryland went and qualified for the All-Ireland Ladies Intermediate Club Football Final. With the final scheduled for Croke Park they will create history by becoming the first Carlow ladies football team to play in GAA headquarters. Such a milestone achievement demanded attention. Deserved attention.
The launch of the tree is on Barrack Street, Carlow on Friday, December 13th at 6pm. The historic match is on Jones Road, Dublin on Saturday, December 14th at 3pm. Which is it to be pondered your scribe? Then a light bulb moment! Why not both? And, alas, the reason this solution was possible is that the Bennekerry-Tinryland camp has endured much heartbreak off the field in recent years.
First, though, let’s explain the Remembrance Tree. The Rotary Club are delighted and humbled at how a simple idea that had its Irish origins in Cork has become such an integral part of the Christmas landscape in town’s all over Ireland. The tree offers a moment of reflection, a time to remember loved ones in a special and simple way. You write on a yellow ribbon the names of your loved ones who have passed away, the ribbon is garlanded and placed on the tree, the ribbons remaining in place throughout the Christmas holiday. When writing your ribbon a donation of your own choosing will go to four designated local charities. The local charities greatly appreciate the donations from this fundraiser. The 2024 beneficiaries are Carlow Delta Centre, St. Vincent De Paul, Bethany House (Alzheimer Society of Ireland) and Éist Carlow Cancer Support.
Over the festive season people will look at the tall tree festooned in yellow ribbon and know that each ribbon has its own story of love tinged with sadness. The Blessing of the ribbons will take place at the 10.30am mass in Carlow Cathedral on Sunday, January 12, 2025. The Remembrance Tree has become part of your scribe's Christmas since it’s inaugural year of 2011 when Eamonn Long invited me to volunteer to help out and it is an uplifting experience to meet and greet the passing parade and to chat with people as they sign their ribbon, some with tears in their eyes, particularly if it has been a recent bereavement. But you know too that the ribbon has helped with the grieving process. Some small children like to see their ribbon hoisted to the Heavens.
I’m sure all of the Bennekerry-Tinryland girls and their mentors have loved ones in Heaven, people who will be in their thoughts en route to Croke Park. Here shine a light on a few that we know of and place their ribbon on the Tree of Remembrance …
“What would Kathleen have said?” queried Kieran Murphy of ‘The Nationalist’. Player of the Match and now the holder of a Leinster Intermediate Football Championship medal, Leah Mullins, was not so sure what words her mother would have used to describe her joy. After a moments thought the Bennekerry Tinryland defender gathered her thoughts. “I don’t know. Actually I don’t know. I just know my Mammy would have been extremely proud of what this team have achieved. Bar my daughter being born, I can say she would have said this is the proudest moment of her life,” said Leah.
“It is raw. It is still raw. It is her second anniversary this weekend. I know she is looking down at me. I know she is here. We are so lucky we have our loved ones here with us physically but she is also looking down on us,” declared Leah.
Kathleen Mullins (nee Brown) passed away in November 2022 and left a significant legacy through her unstinting work for ladies football in Carlow, having served as Cathaoirleach (Chairperson) for some 13 years, succeeding her husband Fran in that role. Indeed in 2021 Kathleen and Fran, who also had a deep involvement with Askea GFC, were deserved recipients of the Setanta Award at ‘The Nationalist’ Sports Stars Ceremony, due recognition of the couples promotion of sport amongst the youth of the county. Kathleen also served as a very active PRO of Coiste nanÓg and many’s a young boy and girl experienced the delight of seeing their names in the paper for the first time thanks to Kathleen’s diligent reporting of juvenile activities. She also did a superb job on the compilation of the Askea GFC history.
After BT’s Leinster final victory an emotional Leah Mullins having spoken movingly about her late mother Kathleen then talked to Kieran Murphy about another special person who lost her life in a tragic traffic accident three years ago. The initials of her name had been embroidered on each jersey.
“This is Amanda Kinsella," pointed out Mullins. “She is still very much part of our squad. AK for Amanda. Every jersey has AK on the shoulder. These are our 2021 jerseys. It was our first county final without Amanda. We got that put on our jerseys and we won that county final for Amanda. We are still winning up to this day for Amanda” said Leah.
Amanda’s father Michael ‘Mono’ Kinsella told ‘The Nationalist’ the week after his daughter’s death in August 2021 that “Amanda loved life and lived it to the full. She loved adventure and travelling and made friends wherever she went. She was always smiling and so lovely. We were so proud of her.”
Amanda was a gifted footballer, playing a huge part in Bennekerry-Tinryland’s championship three-in-a-row from 2015 to 2017 and also won an All-Ireland Colleges Senior A medal with St Leo’s College, Carlow before training as schoolteacher in St Patrick’s Drumcondra, then teaching in Oman and Bahrain, where Amanda continued to kick football. Her heartbroken parents, Patrica and Mono, her sister Aisling, brother David and partner Brendan Galvin felt Amanda’s loss the most but her band of football sisters too felt the pain and carry her memory not only on their yellow and black jerseys but in their hearts.
Mary Dwyer - formerly Mary Coogan - passed away in August 2015 following a long and brave battle with cancer. She was an Irish International Athlete who held the Irish Ladies Long Jump record for nine years, 1983-1992, with a massive leap of 6 metres 17 centimetres. But for injury Mary would have competed in the 1984 Los Angelus Olympics. Married to John Dwyer, himself a footballer of note, the couple had three children, son John and daughters Amy and Lauren. Lauren is Bennekerry-Tinryland’s goalsmith, coming off the bench in Leinster to notch crucial late green flags before bucking that trend in the All-Ireland semi-final, starting that game and opening the scoring with a goal. Lauren, of course, is an Irish soccer international and has enjoyed much success with Wexford Youths ladies, two National Premier Division League medals and a FAI Cup medal in her trophy cabinet. One suspects, though, that success with her neighbours and friends of Bennekerry-Tinryland is extra-special. Her mother Mary is looking on proudly from the level lawns of God. But it was in her front garden in Rathnapish Mary first showed her competitive instincts as brother Jack Coogan explained at her funeral mass.
“From an early age Mary showed a competitive streak. Every year during the Dublin Horse Show, Rathnapish would stage its very own Agha Khan Cup. In the front garden homemade obstacles consisted of buckets, brush handles, shovels and hedges. Mary’s determination to clear the water jump no doubt led to the early development of her long jump prowess.” Lauren will be following in her mother’s footsteps on Saturday, leaping for glory.
Finally, lets focus on the four charities designated for financial support from the proceeds of the Remembrance Tree …
The Delta Centre provides training, residential, respite, day and multi-sensory services to adults with learning disabilities. Their mission statement says “we will strive to ensure that the rights of each individual attending the service are upheld, including their right to equality, dignity, privacy, safety and respect. Encouragement and support will be given to each person attending the service to develop to their maximum potential to improve their quality of life.”
Éist Cancer Support Centre provides emotional support and practical help to anyone affected by a cancer diagnosis, their families and carers. Our centre is a peaceful, tranquil, supportive place where all those affected by cancer can avail of support. Among the founder members of Éist in 2004 was Carlow camogie legend Mary Smyth. In May 2021 Éist moved into their new centre at Idrone Park, Carlow. I saw at first hand the excellent emotional and practical support provided by Éist during my partner Carmel’s recovery from breast cancer.
Saint Vincent de Paul are dedicated to addressing poverty through practical solutions. “We focus on alleviating the impacts of poverty on individuals and families by engaging in direct, person-to-person assistance” declares the SVDP website. “Our unique family visitation system underscores our commitment to social justice and equal opportunities for all,” Many, many men, women and children, many’s a family have experienced the comforting and supportive hand of the local St Vincent De Paul.
The Alzheimer Society of Ireland is the leading dementia-specific service provider in Ireland. Bethany House on Carlow Town’s Barrack Street provide dementia specific, person centred care to meet the needs of the person with dementia in a warm, welcoming and safe environment while providing support and stimulation.
