The Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Gillian Coughlan, has led a ceremony at Guagán Barra in Cork to remember all those who have lost their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic. The commemoration was held in advance of the National Ceremony of Remembrance and Reflection that will take place in Dublin on Sunday, March 20th.
Mayor Coughlan was joined at St Finbarr’s Oratory by former Mayors Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley and Cllr. Ian Doyle who held office during the pandemic, as well as representatives of Cork County Council’s Covid-19 Community Support Programme.
Mayor Coughlan said, “everyone struggled, many suffered, and some were tragically lost. This ceremony was a way for us to take time to pause, reflect on the past two years and remember all those who lost their lives since March of 2020. We couldn’t have our usual traditions and rituals which meant saying goodbye was even harder. Our world became even smaller as some families faced the heart-breaking decision of having to select just ten mourners. However, communities rallied and paid their respects in other ways by lining the streets and joining services online. We supported our neighbours and as time passed, we all found within ourselves a bravery that we never realised we had. Covid-19 hasn’t fully gone away but we hope that the end is in sight and I believe that our communities will emerge stronger from all that we have experienced over the last two years.”
The ceremony also paid tribute to the frontline workers and volunteers who supported their communities throughout the pandemic.
Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey added, “it is important to recognise the extraordinary contributions our frontline workers, our volunteers and the people of Cork County have made since the pandemic began. The staff in our hospitals and healthcare facilities left their homes each morning because they were needed. Many more kept our shops stocked, and our services running, and we will forever be grateful to them all. It was inspiring to see how communities rallied and worked together to support each other. The Council’s Covid-19 Community Support Programme brought together many agencies who delivered care to older and vulnerable people and was bolstered by a huge host of volunteers. Almost every organisation in County Cork was represented, from frontline agencies such as An Garda Síochána and the HSE to Meals and Wheels, the GAA and charities like ALONE and Volunteer Ireland. It showed once again what can be achieved when we all work together.”
Representing Cork County Council’s Covid-19 Community Support Programme, the frontline services and volunteers at Guagán Barra were:
- Cllr. Gillian Coughlan, Mayor of the County of Cork
- Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley, Former Mayor of the County of Cork
- Cllr. Ian Doyle, Former Mayor of the County of Cork
- Inspector Aidan Moynihan, An Garda Síochána
- Eleanor Moore, HSE
- Valerie Murphy, Avondhu Blackwater Partnership
- Liz Maddox, Age Friendly, Cork County
- Olivia Grace, ALONE
- John Joe Lyons, Red Cross
- Patricia Liddy, Director of Service Corporate Services, Cork County Council
- Marie O’Leary Municipal District Operations Directorate, Cork County Council
- Pat Crowley Roads Directorate, Cork County Council
- Rachel Bourke, Cork County Council’s Library Service
A video of the ceremony has been created and will be published on the Council’s YouTube and social media channels on Sunday, March 20th.
Source: Cork County Council
