Community rallies behind Curragh Camp fire victims

2/8/2007 -

THE Curragh community showed its determination to triumph over tragedy when friends and neighbours came together last Saturday night for a benefit night in aid of the Curragh Camp Fire Fund. The fund will benefit the children of Darren Hanly and Amanda Murphy, whose death in a house fire at the Curragh on New Year’s Eve shocked the entire community.

The evening at Ceannt NCOs Mess, Curragh Camp, included a minute’s silence in memory of the deceased couple and, as the lights in the function room were dimmed, two candles were lit in a poignant gesture designed both to show the sympathy of the community and to symbolise hope for those left behind.

Among the attendance were family members for whom the occasion evoked mixed emotions, of sadness and encouragement at the solidarity shown by the huge turnout.

For those directly touched by the tragedy, life has begun to gradually take shape again, although it has been a difficult period. Speaking to the Kildare Nationalist on Friday, grandmothers Mary Murphy and Imelda Hanly explained how they have been sharing the care of three-year-old Tearnán and his baby brother Cayden.

“I have had the children during the week and I’ve just brought them around to Imelda’s now, for the weekend,” commented Mary, who also lost her own home and possessions when the fire ripped through the house at McMurrough Hill, The Curragh, in the early hours of New Year’s Day.

She has now been rehoused in Newbridge and expressed satisfaction that the house she has been given has a garden. “It’s safe for the children and it’s grand,” she remarked.

Imelda, meanwhile, lives at O’Higgins Terrace, The Curragh, where she said there are still lots of children for Tearnán to play with. Both women agreed that while baby Cayden has obviously been unaware of events, it has been difficult to observe Tearnán at times.

“We have told him that his mammy and daddy are gone to heaven, but one night I saw him looking up and he asked me if the sky could open, just for a minute, so he could see them. It was so painful to hear that and see the look in his eyes,” Imelda recalled.

The two grandmothers have the advantage of having known each other for years, as both are natives of the area. They even recalled how Amanda and Darren “didn’t like each other” as children and used to squabble and fight with each other. At a later stage, of course, things changed. “I remember Darren coming up the steps to the front door, half afraid, after I told him that if he wanted to take my daughter out, he’d have to call and do it properly,” said Mary.

Incredibly, despite their terrible loss, both women could laugh as they remembered their children in earlier years. “Those are the precious memories,” Imelda said simply. For the future, they are focused on the children left behind.

“A month has gone by since the fire and yet it seems like we saw them just yesterday. At times you get very upset, but the children keep you going. We have to think about them to carry on,” said Imelda. She also commented that she is making albums for the children, including media coverage of the fire tragedy, so that they can have them in future years. “It will help them to know what happened and how much their mammy and daddy meant to everyone.”

Both Mary and Imelda also had high praise for their fellow Curragh residents, saying that the support and sympathy shown has been tremendous. That community spirit was also highlighted by the Curragh Command’s GOC, Brig Gen Pat O’Sullivan, who briefly addressed the attendance at the benefit night. He actually came across the fire while returning to the Curragh from Newbridge after a New Year’s celebration with friends.

“It was a terrible and tragic start to the year,” he said, adding that the whole community in the area, military and civilian, had been shocked.

He also noted, however, that there is a strong community spirit and people have rallied to help the affected families as much as possible. “Both families have a long connection with soldiering on the camp and this is a relatively small community where people are always willing to help if they can.”

The benefit night at Ceannt was organised by a local committee including Bernie Molloy, Derry Molloy, David O’Shea, Peter Sheridan and Dave Humphries. Bernie commented that the support shown by local residents, the army and businesses in the locality had been marvellous.

Ceannt NCOs Mess provided the food for the night free of charge, while Paul Norton from Tullamore – whose stage act is similar to the “Rat Pack” show – and DJ Fintan Lawlor also gave their services free of charge. Bernie expressed thanks to the catering and bar staff at Ceannt, along with a large number of businesses who provided raffle prizes for the night.

These included Debenhams, Easons and Ladybird at the Whitewater centre, Newbridge, Bradburys, Farrell and Nephew, Penny’s, House and Home, Strands Hair Salon, Vanity Fair, Michael Murphy’s, Kavanagh’s Home Textiles, Willoughby’s Hardware, Monasterevin, Orchard Cabs, Curragh, Euro 2, Newbridge and Market Fresh, Moorefield Shopping Centre. Thanks also went to Ceannt NCOs Mess, Military Police NCOs Mess, Connolly Privates’ Mess, Mrs Vera O’Sullivan, Curragh, Mrs Mae O’Shea, Maddenstown, Mrs Rose Coogan, Athgarvan, Mrs. Mary Delaney, Portarlington and Mrs Noeleen Coogan, Cut Bush. A surprise on the night was a stereo donated for raffle by Rossa O’Donnell of Centra, Curragh Camp.

In all, the benefit function raised around €4,000 and the committee afterwards thanked all those who gave their support in any way.

Kidare Nationalist donates car to the Curragh fire fund

THE Kildare Nationalist is to donate a car to the Curragh Camp Fire Fund. This newspaper, which set up the fund in the wake of the terrible tragedy in the early hours of New Year’s Day, will present a Chevrolet Aveo 1.2 LS car to Bernie Molloy’s committee, which will then organise a raffle to raise more money for the fund. Kildare Nationalist editor Conal O’Boyle commented: “This was a tragedy that touched the hearts of everyone in County Kildare. We want to continue to do our part to make sure that the futures of young Tearnán and Cayden can be made as comfortable as possible.”