Spiritans commit to redress scheme details this summer
Earlier this year, advocacy group Restore Together called on the Spiritans to implement a redress scheme no later than June for those who suffered child sex abuse. Restore Together represents many of the survivors of child sex abuse suffered at schools run by the Spiritan Order, including Blackrock College.
In today's open letter, leader of the Catholic order in Ireland Fr Brendan Carr said the process to set up a redress scheme has been slow.
"It has been very frustrating for victims/survivors, and their advocates, who have shown immeasurable patience, and it is important to acknowledge that it is the cooperation and commitment of such advocates that has guided and shaped a 'victim-centred' restorative process, including a just formula for redress to those waiting," he said.
Fr Carr said finding the funds for the scheme is the main reason for the delay and structures have been set up to address the issue.
"The Province has accelerated our efforts by establishing a dedicated financial taskforce, the Finance Advisory Team, with the expertise to lead a strategic restructuring of the Province's assets.
"This taskforce is working to fast-track the development of sustainable funding streams, including immediate and medium-term provisions for redress," he said.
The group has welcomed Fr Carr's letter and called it a step in the right direction.
However, it added it would like to see "more urgency".
The letter also reminded victims that free counselling can be accessed through their safeguarding office.
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Sunday World
2 days ago
- Sunday World
Expert suspects excavation at Tuam could uncover child trafficking by church
It may point to a child trafficking operation where mothers who had been banished to the homes to have their babies were told their children died TUAM, IRELAND - JULY 7: Tuam campaigner Anna Corrigan who suspects that her two lost brothers may be buried at the former Bon Secours Mother and Baby home site wipes away tears as she attends a media day at the dig site on July 7, 2025 in Tuam, Ireland. From 1925 to 1961, hundreds of children died at the St Mary's Mother and Baby home, a maternity home for unmarried mothers and their children, in Tuam, County Galway. It was run by the Bon Secours order of Catholic nuns, and this type of home was common across Ireland for many decades. Test excavations at the site took place in 2016 and 2017, and a mass burial site was found in a former sewage tank containing the remains of 796 babies and toddlers, ranging in age from 35 foetal weeks to two to three years. (Photo by) Tuam historian Catherine Corless whose painstaking research work brought news of the children's mass grave in Tuam to the world's attention () Baby shoes are pictured at a shrine in Tuam, County Galway in January 13, 2021, erected in memory of up to 800 children who were allegedly buried at the site of the former home for unmarried mothers run by nuns. - Irish prime minister Micheal Martin on Wednesday formally apologised for the treatment of unmarried women and their babies in state and church-run homes, where thousands of children died over decades. Some 9,000 children died in Ireland's "mother and baby homes", where unmarried mothers were routinely separated from their infant offspring, according to an official report published Tuesday. (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP) (Photo by PAUL FAITH/AFP via Getty Images) Forensic archaeologist and anthropologist Toni Maguire says the excavation at a mass babies' grave at Tuam could uncover evidence of potential child trafficking by the Catholic Church. The expert says witness evidence states children's remains were wrapped in cloth and left on shelves in the underground tunnel in County Galway. Some of the tiny remains are now on the floor of what's believed to be an old septic tank at the former mother and baby home which could be a result of years of rat activity. Decades after the first discovery of tiny bones on the site, work has finally begun this week to remove and identify the children. Tuam historian Catherine Corless whose painstaking research work brought news of the children's mass grave in Tuam to the world's attention () Toni, who has been at the centre of locating remains in Milltown Cemetery of children from mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland, met with Galway historian Catherine Corless, whose discovery of 796 death certificates uncovered the Tuam scandal. There were no burial records for the dead children, but an incident in the 1970s, when local woman Mary Moriarty fell into the tunnel following the discovery of infant bones by two young boys, confirmed there were remains underground. 'It's absolutely macabre,' says Toni. 'When Mary Moriarty fell into the tunnel she said it was like a scene from Indiana Jones. There were bones everywhere. 'On the shelves there were bundles of what looked like dirty rags. They were using this place like a crypt. 'What you potentially have are individual babies wrapped in cloth and they just stacked them. 'The bones on the floor were indicators of uncoffined burials and rodent activity.' The expert says the painstaking work could uncover more remains. A sample of bones taken from the former site of the St Mary's mother and baby home run by the Bon Secours sisters was of a seven-and-a-half-month-old fetus which would not have had a birth certificate, and therefore no corresponding death certificate to find and include with the 796. But it could also uncover fewer remains, pointing to a child trafficking operation where unmarried mothers who had been banished to the homes to have their babies were told their children had died. The Tuam home operated from 1925 until 1961. Campaigner Toni Maguire. News in 90 Seconds - July 26th 'There is the potential for that,' says Toni. 'If they say 1,000 babies died, and I'm only finding 750, where are the other 250? 'If you were a young mum who came back looking for your baby and you're told it had died you stop looking. One inspector's report for Mother and Baby Homes in the south said babies had a better chance in a hedgerow than in a mother and baby home, but is that the case or was the high death rate a potential cover for babies being adopted elsewhere?' Toni, who has given evidence to a Stormont committee as part of the upcoming inquiry into Northern Ireland's mother and baby homes scandal, which involved more than 10,000 women and girls, says there was widespread movement of pregnant women from south to north to have their babies. 'Babies born in the north were British citizens entitled to birth certificates and passports. In the south illegitimate babies were not entitled to all their documentation. 'Moving people across different legal jurisdictions makes it easier to lose track of them for the purpose of anyone looking for them later. 'They can say there is no record of your birth, because there wouldn't be. That baby was born in a different country.' She got copies of the baptism register for the Marianvale home in Newry which showed mothers were from Bessborough mother and baby home in Cork, from Derry and from England. 'One entry in the book said this baby is going to be recorded in the Diocese of Cincinnati. It wasn't going to be recorded as a British citizen. It was going to be moved to America and recorded there. 'It was potentially people trafficking.' The expert says remains recovered from the Tuam site could reveal the cause of death among the hundreds of infants. Children in mother and baby homes, north and south, had a much higher death rate than in the general population. 'If you look at a lot of the death certificates there are a disproportionate number which record marasmus, which is malnutrition. 'Inspectors who visited these home said the children were emaciated. 'The evidence from the bones themselves will depend on the state of preservation.' After the scandal of the Tuam babies broke, the Bon Secours sisters acknowledged the order had failed to protect the 'inherent dignity' of the women and children in the home, and in 2021 Taoiseach Micheál Martin apologised on behalf of the state. Toni, who helped secure historian Catherine's first meeting with Galway County Council, says it also bears responsibility for Tuam. 'I stated at that first meeting with Galway Council this is Catherine's research and I'm not here to step on her toes, however I did mention to them that private cemetery status doesn't apply to Tuam because the Bon Secours sisters didn't own Tuam, they only leased it. 'Theoretically Galway County Council's duty was to ensure any burials complied with regulations at that time.' Following her work at Milltown Cemetery, Toni is backing an Alliance bill at Stormont to bring all of Northern Ireland's private cemeteries including those attached to institutions under the same regulations as public graveyards by removing private cemetery status.
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Irish Examiner
A week in hell: 'There are no safe zones in Gaza, only graveyards waiting for names'
If you've ever had a child who's had a night terror, you'll understand the trauma of watching your kid dissolve into an abyss from which you, their protector, are unable to rescue them. The only solace as a parent is the realisation - one that only comes with experience - that the night terror will pass. The violence within them will leave, and miraculously, they will return to a deep sleep, later waking with no recollection of what disturbed them. For over 21 months we have watched as the worst kind of terror has been visited upon children in Gaza. The terror of bombs falling on their heads while they lie asleep. The terror of their tents being incinerated. The terror of abandonment. Of being orphaned and maimed and dismembered. And now, the terror of forced starvation. A slow and insidious terror that reduces their frail little bodies to skeletons and their eyes to empty fishbowls. Their stomachs to vats of bile. Palestinians gather to receive hot meals distributed by a charity organization in Gaza City on Wednesday. For over 21 months we have watched as the worst kind of terror has been visited upon children in Gaza. Photo: Khames Alrefi/Anadolu via Getty Images Unlike the night-terror which wakes our children, the only logical conclusion to the terror Palestinian children face is death. That they face that death while millions of tonnes of food and aid lie rotting in the summer sun just miles from where they starve is a stain on humanity no political posturing will ever scrub off. The sick irony is that, even if that aid was allowed in today, the bodies of these tiny children have been so starved and exposed to disease that a sudden re-feeding could do more harm than good. The physiological and physiological trauma they have been exposed to will affect them for however long they live. Based on the evidence presented to us every day this week, that may not be very long. The last seven days have been amongst the most devastating for the people of Gaza. Israeli airstrikes have increased, along with demolitions of the last urban areas by the IDF. The number of people killed while queuing for what little aid is available passed 1,000. This has been seven days from hell from which Gaza - and our collective consciences - may never recover. July 17 Gaza Health Ministry reports 94 Palestinian bodies arriving in hospitals within 24 hours, bringing the estimated death toll to about 58,667 since October 2023. Last month, the Lancet medical journal concluded that the actual Gaza death toll was likely being under-reported by as much as 41%. Amongst the dead were five civilians killed at the Holy Family Church, a site frequently mentioned by the late Pope Francis in his prayers. The damaged facade of the Holy Family Church a day after it was hit in an Israeli strike in Gaza City last week which killed three in the besieged Palestinian territory's only Catholic church. Photo: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP via Getty Images Media reports that a kilo of rice is costing as much as $40, and a kilo of sugar $100. Meanwhile, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reported that they had enough food for the entire population of Gaza for three months stockpiled outside the Strip, but Israel continued to deny its entry. The agency said: The suffering in Gaza is manmade and must be stopped. Israel's government responded to starvation allegations by claiming 'it is Hamas that is causing the suffering,' not Israel. In response, the WHO and UN reported over 1,000 Palestinian deaths in attempts to access food since May. As ceasefire talks continued in Doha, the Bogota Summit concluded in Columbia with 30 countries announcing they had taken steps to 'end Israel's era of impunity'. Palestine's ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour called it a 'turning point', while Brazil joined South Africa's case at the ICJ on charges of genocide. July 18 According to local health officials, 15 Palestinians — three of them children — died of starvation within 24 hours, including a six-week-old infant. WHO statistics report 21 children under five have died this year from malnutrition as starvation rates surge amid almost non-existent aid delivery thanks to Israeli denial of access. Media and humanitarian agencies operating in Gaza report that they are suffering the same food deprivation, with journalists dangerously weakened and nearly unable to report. Hamas reiterated that no interim truce would be possible without addressing a broader permanent ceasefire; they previously offered to release all hostages if an overall deal is reached. Genocide scholar Omer Bartov publicly described the situation as genocide in a New York Times op ed, saying 'systematic infrastructure destruction, forced population shifts…and rhetoric by Israeli leaders' meets legal criteria. July 19 Israeli military forces targeted and destroyed 90 installations across Gaza, including civilian infrastructure in the north and Gaza City. Deadly aid-line shootings continue; At least 36 people were shot and killed by Israeli fire while walking toward an aid distribution site near Khan Younis, with witnesses saying no warning was given. Death continues to fall from the sky as well as being fired from the ground - an Israeli strike hit an apartment in Nuseirat refugee camp, killing nine, including an infant and a child, while another strike in Az Zawayda killed the local police chief of Nuseirat and 11 of his relatives. Starvation deaths mount, with health officials confirming a 15-person spike in over 24 hours, among them three children. A Palestinian girl looks on as others clear debris from a makeshift displacement tent camp which was hit by Israeli strikes last week at the UNRWA-run Abou Helou school for girls in the central Gaza Strip. Photo: Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images The UN's World Food Programme warned Gaza is on the brink of 'catastrophic hunger', with aid access severely restricted, despite it being immediately available for distribution. WHO confirms a deadly surge of malnutrition: 21 children under five have died in 2025 as aid routes remain practically non-functional. Israeli forces issued new evacuation orders for central Gaza (southwest Deir al Balah), an area where many displaced Palestinians—and, yes, possibly hostages—are sheltering. Aid agencies reiterate their warnings of hundreds at imminent risk of death by starvation. July 20 Sixty-seven Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli forces while waiting for UN aid trucks in northern Gaza, with another six killed near a southern distribution point, totalling at least 73 deaths in a single day. The UN World Food Programme condemned the slaughter, decrying it as unacceptable and warning that such incidents endanger its staff and innocent civilians, as well as threatening ceasefire negotiations. Israel defended the actions of its soldiers, claiming them to be under 'immediate threat.' Countless eye-witness testimony and video footage contradict the claim. Israeli activists take part in a protest in Tel Aviv, Israel, last week against the war in the Gaza Strip, Israel's measures regarding food distribution and the forced displacement of Palestinians. Photo: AP/Ohad Zwigenberg As another aid-line massacre unfolded, the IDF issued new evacuation directives for central Gaza areas, particularly Deir al Balah and Khan Younis. These orders exacerbated the plight of already displaced residents, aggravating the humanitarian crisis amid exports of famine and violence. Al Jazeera reported a four-year-old girl died of malnutrition on this date, underscoring the starvation crisis among Gaza's most vulnerable. WHO and aid groups describe malnutrition and hunger as reaching 'hellish' levels, with hospitals overwhelmed, children dying, and rates of severe malnutrition surging to unprecedented levels. All of this as daily temperatures reach over 35 degrees Celsius on the ground. Only a fraction of the required 600 aid trucks enters Gaza daily — only 28 arrive on the 20th — leaving over two million residents, including journalists, facing starvation. July 21 The Gaza Health Ministry reported at least 134 Palestinian bodies arriving in Gaza hospitals in the previous 24 hours. Israeli forces launched a fresh offensive in central Gaza, deploying tanks into Deir al-Balah, shelling homes and mosques—killing at least three civilians. Airstrikes targeted Hudaydah Port (in Yemen), claiming Houthi militant infrastructure, and IDF downed a drone inbound to Israel — indicating broader regional tensions. Fifteen Palestinians, including a six-week-old infant, reportedly died of starvation in the last 24 hours — bringing the total starvation-linked deaths to at least 101, with 80 of them children. Reuters highlighted that over 800 people have been killed attempting to access food, often from shootings by Israeli soldiers at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution centres in the previous six weeks. Israeli tanks entered Deir al-Balah despite numerous UN facilities there. WHO reported its staff residence and main warehouse were struck three times, resulting in fire damage and the detention of four staff members (one is still in custody). Men ride in the back of a tricycle cart along Salaheddin road in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip last week. Photo: Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images A coalition of 25 nations, including Ireland, the UK, France and Canada, condemned "inhumane killing of civilians" — particularly near food sites — and demanded an immediate end to the conflict. A separate bloc of 28 countries (including Ireland) signed a joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire and recognition that civilian suffering in aid queues has reached unprecedented levels. A statement from 111 humanitarian organizations declared mass starvation sweeping Gaza, highlighting that vital food, water, and medical supplies are being held just outside by absurd Israeli restrictions. WHO and aid groups reported a catastrophic collapse of food aid systems, with severe malnutrition becoming widespread: hospitals being overwhelmed with children dying en masse. The daily grim reality of life in Gaza — infants denigrated to starvation, thousands killed seeking food, and relentless military pressure — continues to be livestreamed by Palestinians. July 22 Newspaper front pages are dominated by a photograph of a starving Palestinian child, Muhammad, who is about 18 months old. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) announced it had completely exhausted its aid supplies - 'our last tent, our last food parcel – gone' and warned that some of its own staff are now starving amid crippling Israeli interference with humanitarian deliveries. The UN estimates that only 28 trucks per day are entering Gaza — well below the 600 needed — leaving 2.2 million people, including NGOs and journalists, facing acute deprivation. 'Six -week-old Yousef's lifeless body lay limp on a hospital table in Gaza city,' reported Reuters, 'his skin over protruding ribs.' The little boy was one of 15 people to starve to death over a 36-hour period." Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, a 18-month-old child faces life-threatening malnutrition as the humanitarian situation worsens due to ongoing Israeli attacks and blockade. Having dropped from nine to six kilograms, he struggles to survive in a tent in Gaza City, where milk, food, and other basic necessities are lacking. Photo: Ahmed Jihad Ibrahim Al-arini/Anadolu via Getty Images Further videos and reports expose aid distribution zones — run by the US-linked Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — as 'death traps', with militarised settings and live fire resulting in over 1,000 deaths since May. UN officials from WFP and UNRWA confirm systematic killings of people simply trying to reach food — fuelling global outrage and accusations of inhumane instrumentation of mass starvation. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director-general, said Gaza is enduring man-made mass starvation, citing an Israeli blockade that leaves essential aid just outside its borders. All the while, UNRWA, WHO, and other NGOs on the ground report operational staff collapsing from hunger and exhaustion while on duty — underscoring the disintegration of humanitarian work. Over 100 aid organisations, including MSF, Save the Children, and Oxfam, once again warn that Gaza is facing 'mass starvation' and call for open crossings and unobstructed aid access. July 23 A coalition of 111 aid and rights organizations — including MSF, Oxfam, Save the Children, and the Norwegian Refugee Council — issued a joint appeal, calling for unrestricted access, open border crossings, and the removal of military-controlled aid systems. They again warn that staff are now collapsing from hunger while distributing food. Gaza's Health Ministry reported at least 10 additional starvation deaths in the past 24 hours (bringing the total to 111), including four children, and highlighted the few remaining health facilities as being grossly overwhelmed. Asked for comment, a White House official says Hamas is to blame for the deaths. Residential bombardments continued: an Israeli air raid killed the Al Shaer family (including a journalist and her five children) while they slept. The same day, Israeli forces targeted 120 "terror infrastructure" sites, resulting in over 100 civilian deaths. July 24 Gaza health officials reported two more deaths from famine and malnutrition within 24 hours, bringing the total to at least 113 starvation-linked fatalities, including many children. The Gaza Health Ministry confirmed these figures, highlighting the tragic daily increase. Israeli forces conducted fresh air and ground operations across central and southern Gaza, resulting in at least 41 Palestinian civilian deaths since dawn until now. Hamas has submitted a new response to mediator-proposed ceasefire and hostage-release terms. Israel has deemed parts of the deal 'workable' but remains publicly dubious while the proposal undergoes review. A joint media statement from BBC, AFP, AP, Reuters, and others warned that journalists in Gaza are facing starvation, with many unable to eat or work. They urged Israeli authorities to facilitate their movement and food access. Palestinians carry sacks of flour unloaded from a humanitarian aid convoy that reached Gaza City from the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday. Photo: AP/Jehad Alshrafi The statement marks another depressing departure: media that had heretofore failed to be editorially critical of Israel finally - after likely 100,000 deaths in 21 months - chose to speak out. And even then, their words have so far been greeted by even more killings. The WHO's Tedros once again emphasised 'man-made mass starvation' in Gaza due to the effective blockade, with 10% of the population malnourished and over 5,100 children admitted to malnutrition programmes this month. Philippe Lazzarini of UNRWA described Gazans as 'walking corpses' and noted 6,000 aid trucks are sitting unused outside Gaza due to Israeli restrictions. In Ireland, Simon Harris issued a press release saying: 'The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths of despair and misery. Mass starvation is now spreading across the population. People are dying every day from lack of food and medicines. Children are starving before our eyes. Hundreds have been killed while trying to collect what little food is available. 'Ireland calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire. Israel must lift its blockade and allow the full resumption of humanitarian aid into and throughout Gaza. 'All hostages must be released by Hamas and returned to their families. UN and other humanitarian organisations must be allowed to do their work.' It came weeks after Aljazeera reported that 'Ireland was the largest buyer of Israeli integrated circuits in 2024, importing some $3bn billion worth of electronic integrated circuits and micro-assemblies.' The same report listed Ireland as second only to the United States as the biggest importers of Israeli products last year, globally. There is no normal We scarcely needed reminding, but if the last seven days taught us anything, it is that there is no normal in Gaza anymore. Only starvation, dust, the smell of blood and the terror of children. Water comes from rusted pipes; food, if it arrives at all, from the sky, wrapped in plastic and desperation. Burst bags of flour inseparable from the sand. Airdrops that feed one while food queues are a death sentence. And everywhere, children who no longer cry — because their bodies have forgotten how. The world knows what's happening. The figures are public, the footage relentless. UN officials say famine is being used as a weapon. Aid workers collapse from exhaustion and hunger. Journalists — the last witnesses — say they cannot report the truth because they are too hungry to hold a camera. Israel, for its part, says it's 'pursuing military objectives.' But buildings don't bleed, and babies are not Hamas. There are no safe zones in Gaza, only graveyards waiting for names. What is happening in Gaza is not a 'conflict'. It is not a 'military operation'. It is not 'complicated'. It is a genocide, slow only because starvation takes longer than a bomb. Read More UN agency says staff fainting from hunger as starvation spreads in Gaza
Irish Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
'She was a lady' - Ray D'Arcy battles back tears at his beloved mum's funeral
Radio and TV host Ray D'Arcy has revealed his mother Mary was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer six weeks ago. Speaking at her Funeral Mass on Wednesday, an emotional Ray fought back tears as he told mourners at St Brigid's Parish Church in Kildare Town that his mother was given 'weeks to live'. Addressing mourners, the RTE star said: 'She had some trouble over the last 18 months with her health, nothing life threatening, we thought. 'And then about six weeks ago, we got the diagnosis of an aggressive form of cancer. The doctor said, weeks then last Wednesday, they said it was going to be short days, and she didn't suffer much. 'It was funny, the staff in Naas had the measure of mammy. One of the ward nurses, Mary was her name too, actually, she said to me, 'your mother strikes me as someone who wouldn't complain.' 'She wouldn't be asking for pain relief, she said. And then Linda, another nurse, she was a palliative care nurse. She had the official name for our mother. She said, 'Your mother is an under reporter, an under reporter'. That was ma. A slight woman with a huge heart.' Ray described his mother as a 'lady' who would put every Minister for Finance to shame as she raised nine children in a house with 'very little money'. Ray D'Arcy and his wife Jenny pictured this morning at the funeral of his mother, Mary D'Arcy. (Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin) Mourners follow the hearse from the funeral home. (Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin) 'Nine children in 16 years, a lot of children, but not a lot of money. It could have broken her, you know, and probably nearly did at times, but our mother was made of strong, strong stuff. 'Her ability to manage a household budget on a meagre income would put many a Minister for Finance to shame. 'We never wanted for anything. Actually, I really don't know how she did it. I'm in awe of how she got through it. Imagine at one stage, nine of us in that little council cottage, Joan, a baby, Joe doing his Leaving Cert. 'I remember actually when mammy was pregnant with Joan, our father arrived home from the pub one night. When he went into the kitchen, mam was in tears over the sink, doing the washing up, and she complained to him that none of us were pulling our weight. 'So he returned to the sitting room. We were all in there, maybe watching The Old Grey Whistle Test or something, and he proceeded to read us the riot act. 'Your mother needs your help,' he said, 'It's not my fault your mother's pregnant,' he said. 'And if you didn't laugh, you'd cry. We all turned out reasonably okay.' Ray told how his mother was 'kind, tolerant and forgiving' who was a devout Catholic that was 'unsettled' when the church scandals emerged in recent years. 'Our mother flourished as we became independent of her…our mother was a calming presence everywhere she went. She was active all over the place. I don't know how she did it. Mary D'Arcy's remains arrive at the church. (Image: Ray D'Arcy and other family members carry his mother's remains. (Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin) 'She was a member of the Community Council. She was on school management boards. She was an integral part of the local history group. She led the choir here in St Brigid's church for years. 'She was a devout Catholic. The scandals really unsettled my mother, but she had a great relationship with her God. We joked, actually, over the last few days, that she's been fast tracked to heaven, the full VIP treatment, complimentary chocolates on arrival. 'Our mother, slight of stature, but big of heart was a truly good person. She was kind, she was tolerant, she was forgiving, she was a great listener, and she gave sage advice. 'She had a great memory. She never forgot a birthday of her nine children, 16 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. 'The arrival in the post of the package or card with her beautifully neat handwriting was a constant in all our lives, as was her beautiful, warm smile…a smile that was full of mother's love.' Ray also recalled the time his mother interviewed Pogues singer Shane MacGowan at her kitchen table live on the radio. 'The pioneer in conversation with the Pogues lead singer, very much not a pioneer, that shouldn't have worked at all. 'And for the first five minutes or so, it was awkward and stopped, starting. I'm sure the listeners probably felt uncomfortable. 'But then our mother, she was a huge fan of Shane McGowan. She appreciated his genius, and she'd read his biography, and then she said to him, after about five minutes, and of course, Shane, you were in the Nipple Erectors. Shane laughed that raspy laugh, and that was that they got on famously a mutual admiration society of sorts.' He said Mary 'travelled a lot in later life, she loved a good sitcom, always a good musical as well. She loved the movies, and up until a couple of years ago, she went up to Dublin every Wednesday to meet Angela or Alison to go to the cinema.' 'She was vibrant, very much young at heart. She had a beautiful energy. She was a lady. She was intelligent and insightful. She was a wonderful mother, and we were very lucky to have her. He added that just before she died last Friday morning, his sister Anne told her how much her family loved her. 'And I imagine if my mother could have talked on Friday morning, she would have said, I love you all too, equally and unconditionally. 'Our mother, Mary Darcy, was a truly amazing person, and we missed her terribly.' Symbols to the altar included hymnal 'representing mammy's devotion to and love of hymns in general', a copy of the Jesuit magazine 'The Messenger'. 'Our mother literally spread the word of God for 36 years, as she delivered The Messenger every month for 36 years.' A book of crosswords was also brought to the altar. Father Adrian Carbery told the congregation Mary was a 'lady'. He said: 'We have to say that Mary was a remarkable woman. She had a huge impact on the whole community. She lived a long life, and she lived it to the full. 'She really made a profound impact on Kildare through her involvement in so many activities around the place and her commitment to the Historical Society, her love for the drama, her weekly distributing newsletters from the parish, The Messenger magazine for years and years and years, which I think was a legacy from Sister Annunziata, she continued it on right to the very end. 'She had a great love for people,' he added. Mary was buried after her Funeral Mass in St. Conleth's Cemetery in Kildare Town. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
