Road victims remembered at poignant IRVA event
The UN World Day of Remembrance for road traffic victims is commemorated on the third Sunday of November every year around the world, including in Mullingar.
“For the last 12 years, we have brought families together in Mullingar in Bloomfield House Hotel, and before that in Belvedere, and people travel from all around the country to be with us for our special commemorative event,” says Donna Price, Chair of IRVA, the Irish Road Victims' Association.
Approximately 300 attended on Sunday and took part in a number of symbolic and poignant actions.
“The attendance included bereaved families and also emergency services; we had the guards, the fire service, the ambulance service, the Civil Defence and members of the army. Canon Alastair Graham from All Saints attended to give a blessing. The Road Safety Association was there as well.”
Proceedings began at 1pm with the release of doves by ten people, including broadcaster Joe Duffy, who himself was bereaved by the death of his brother in a road accident.
As the doves were released, musician Tally Flynn played a lament on the violin before the group went into the hotel for the next portion of the ceremony which included a minute's silence for all who have lost their lives on the road.
“We displayed white photo frames showing our loved ones and there were between 400 and 500 on display with candles lit in front of them - a very poignant image of the devastation caused by road crashes in our little country,” says Donna.
Tragically, she continues, to date there have been 168 lives lost on Irish roads this year: “We had quite a few new families there yesterday as a result.
“It is a very sad event, obviously, because we're looking at the faces of other - often young - people, and our loved ones who have been killed in what are preventable deaths. You know, they're not from incurable illnesses, so that makes it even more difficult to bear, the severity, the suddenness, and it’s very traumatic for people who are affected.”
“But,” Donna continues, “we’re there to provide support. And there is a comfort in knowing people in the room understand what t you’re going through. And all of us were there to help each other.”
Music was provided by the chamber choir from St Finian’s school and singer Finbar Coady; piper Anthony Kelly led participants to the edge of the lake where they floated roses to signify the lives lost.
“We were very pleased with the event - if you can be ‘pleased’,” says Donna. “The idea is to create awareness for families who are impacted, to let them know our charity is there to support them. And if they need any help - because, you know, you're not only dealing with the sudden loss of your loved one and the grief of losing your child, or your husband, or your wife, or your mother, or whatever, but you're also thrown in to dealing with the legal processes that follow, like the garda investigation and the DPP and the coroner's inquest, criminal or civil court cases all of that - and you have to deal with them when you're at your lowest ebb and you have to deal with all of this on top of your grief.
“So we're there to provide peer support and bereavement counselling if families want to avail of it, and help as they deal with that horrific aftermath.”