 |
| Fíachra Mag Uídhir |
I knew his parents well, Anne and Sean, and had stayed with them on paroles from the H Blocks when they lived first in Ballymun and later in Ravensdale.
While in Ballymun we hit the beach in Bray on the fourth of July with the children. It was a tremendous day, the vastness of the sea in front of me contrasting vividly with the confines of a prison cell. The photos of the occasion I have retained somewhere in the mementos that are stored away. Precious memories.
Fiachra was the twin brother of Méabh. Later when the family moved back to Belfast I would call in on them, on one occasion to stop over and do child-minding as Anne and Sean had a wedding to attend. If I had any trepidation that Fiachra and his siblings would prove a handful, proving a template for the future Nanny McPhee movie, I need not have worried. Méabh, despite being around four was a great helper. But it left me feeling upon feeding them, keeping them quiet while they watched the TV, changing nappies of the youngest child, putting them down for a nap, that prison time was much handier. I could hardly complain about the effort and energy expended. This is what their parents did all day, every day. It was a first hand experience of what parenting meant, not something readily conveyed by feminist literature in the H Blocks. But the children were worth it. They benefitted immensely from the love and devotion they received from their parents. On the rare occasion that Anne experienced the dubious joys of a hangover, and Sean had to work, Granny Frances would be sent for to take charge. And she was more than a match for all of them.
I have tremendously happy memories of being in their home. For some reason Fiachra never forgot and Cliodhna would tell me that he would often ask after me and talk about Springhill where I used to live. I enjoyed hearing about him, of how he loved his pint and his work.
He was well thought of. Following in his father's footsteps he worked with the Belfast Media Group whose general editor Robin Livingstone said upon learning of his death last December:
Fiachra was the twin brother of Méabh. Later when the family moved back to Belfast I would call in on them, on one occasion to stop over and do child-minding as Anne and Sean had a wedding to attend. If I had any trepidation that Fiachra and his siblings would prove a handful, proving a template for the future Nanny McPhee movie, I need not have worried. Méabh, despite being around four was a great helper. But it left me feeling upon feeding them, keeping them quiet while they watched the TV, changing nappies of the youngest child, putting them down for a nap, that prison time was much handier. I could hardly complain about the effort and energy expended. This is what their parents did all day, every day. It was a first hand experience of what parenting meant, not something readily conveyed by feminist literature in the H Blocks. But the children were worth it. They benefitted immensely from the love and devotion they received from their parents. On the rare occasion that Anne experienced the dubious joys of a hangover, and Sean had to work, Granny Frances would be sent for to take charge. And she was more than a match for all of them.
I have tremendously happy memories of being in their home. For some reason Fiachra never forgot and Cliodhna would tell me that he would often ask after me and talk about Springhill where I used to live. I enjoyed hearing about him, of how he loved his pint and his work.
He was well thought of. Following in his father's footsteps he worked with the Belfast Media Group whose general editor Robin Livingstone said upon learning of his death last December:
Our hearts are broken. Fiachra was a ray of sunshine and the world is a little bit darker with his passing. For 10 years he was an integral part of our print team, a tight and hard-working group who stuck fiercely together and they in particular are going to miss him so very much.
Lámh Dhearg GLC, where Fiachra volunteered as a groundsman, described him in glowing terms:
It is never easy to write about the death of a friend's child. It runs against the grain of the natural order. The pain, the anguish, the loss, the unbearable burden of grief all serve to remind us that there is no coffin heavier than that of a child. Despite all the challenges in his own short life, Fiachra brought much joy to the lives of others. If the rest of us, equipped with better opportunities from birth, were capable of giving what Fiachra did, the world would be a more hospitable place to live in.
Fiachra was a gentleman with a jovial personality who revelled and enjoyed his role in maintaining our club grounds and pitch. He always carried out his role with efficiency and always smiling.
It is never easy to write about the death of a friend's child. It runs against the grain of the natural order. The pain, the anguish, the loss, the unbearable burden of grief all serve to remind us that there is no coffin heavier than that of a child. Despite all the challenges in his own short life, Fiachra brought much joy to the lives of others. If the rest of us, equipped with better opportunities from birth, were capable of giving what Fiachra did, the world would be a more hospitable place to live in.
⏩ Follow on Twitter @AnthonyMcIntyre.
No comments