In memory of an Irish Mammy !
Another wonderful group from US on vacation in Ireland. There were two sisters Mary & Marlyn & a respective husband, David travelling on their first trip to Ireland. (Mind you many of the guests are on their first trip) Coming towards the end of the tour Mary approached me with a special request:
Mary & Marlyn they told me about their late mother, who had passed just 2 years previous. Their mother had been born in Ireland and had emigrated when she was 17, never to return to Ireland again.
Throughout their mothers’ life she had longed to make the trip back across the Atlantic Ocean but it was not to be & she died with a promise from her daughters, Mary & Marlyn that they would make the trip in her memory some day.
The sisters were visiting in their mother’s memory and they had brought with them a small Marquisate Ring, small enough to wear on your little finger. This ring was their mothers, which she wore it all times. Now the ladies wished to bury it in Irish soil in memory of their mother. They wanted me to help them with this and make it happen. They were asking me to guide them as to a place & time that they could get enough privacy (from the rest of the group) to do this! I promised them I would make it happen!
Simple enough request but I was very aware that this meant an awful lot to them and deserved all the respect I could possible allow it.
Now this was the day we had just left Cork County and the next overnight stays were in Dublin city. I thought of many places, but where could I be sure the “chosen” piece of ground would not be dug up next year. I thought and thought and then I came up with a suggestion. I told them about my thoughts and gave my reasons for same. They were thrilled and bursting with emotion.
The following day was a Free Time afternoon for the guests as it was their last day in Ireland, I arranged to meet the three of them and we walked to The Garden of Remembrance, l Had chosen here as I felt it was appropriate and also that the chances of it been dug up in the near future might be slim…..!
Can you imagine my shock and dismay when we walked in the gates to see at a glance that much of this Garden is covered in concrete and that the flowers are in boxes which would be dug out every year, if not twice a year !!!
I whispered a silent word to my Guardian Angel and looked for guidance and sure it came in spades… as always! My friends were thrilled with my chosen garden and as we walked up towards Oisin Kelly magnificent sculpture of “The Children Of Lir “ My eye found the perfect place to leave the ring…
I suggested that the sisters would walk around and see if there is any place in particular that they feel would be a fitting place to leave the Ring the “link” between their late mother and her country of birth. How pleased was I when they saw the same place as I did. !
They asked my opinion and they “went for it “! We gave them their space and together they tucked away the ring in memory of their late mother. The air was charged with emotion, tears flowed and a few prayers were uttered as David and I watched from a distance.
The sun shone warmly on us, and although there were many visitors around the two ladies got space and privacy. We all walked away slowly and went to have a cup of tea in the local cafe. The cup of tea mends all situations, happy or sad!
It was indeed my privilege and honour to be invited into their space, to be able to make something so personal and private happen for visitors to this beautiful emerald Isle.
The particular spot will remain private to me forever and there is no doubt that each time I visit the Garden Of Remembrance I will utter a silent prayer for those two ladies, their families and late mother.
How lucky am I to call this work!