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THE FAMILY OF world university rowing bronze medalist, Ailish Sheehan, have paid tribute to the “ultimate warrior”, at her funeral mass in Kildimo, Co Limerick.
Ailish’s dreams of qualifying for the Olympics were cruelly snatched from her, just as she was emerging as one of Ireland’s great future hopes in world rowing, mourners heard.
On 4 September last, Ailish stood on the winner’s podium in Poznan, Poland, proudly holding aloft her world championship bronze medal as part of the Great Britain team.
Hours later she was on a life-support machine in hospital, after falling and hitting her head while out celebrating her victory. On 9 September, she passed away in the loving bosom of her heartbroken family.
Despite the darkness which overwhelmed their joy at witnessing Ailish blossom in Poland, her family proudly led a bright soundscape vision of her life, through the stratospheric orchestrations of the John Bowker Earthsong camp choir.
“At Ailish’s hospital bed in Poznan, we only saw her beautiful face and the tanned body of the ultimate warrior,” John Sheehan, Ailish’s father, and “number one fan” said.
Laughter spilled out of the hushed church as John smiled and recalled the important little milestones his daughter conquered along the way.
“While still a baby, around 18 months of age, and unable to move freely in a liquid filled nappy, (Ailish) ripped it off and flung it high into a bush, and ran laughing towards her Kerry cousins…,” John Sheehan said.
Helping Catherine bake a cake with her arm in a cast, Ailish was told to wash her hands, and she duly stuck the cast between her knees and pulled the plaster off for good. .. Snorkelling in Australia, she cut her hand, and was poisoned by a fish while feeding sausages to hundreds of fishes in a corrib.
Paying tribute to his daughter’s talents in sport, music, art, and of her love of nature, he said:
She created many waves in many ways…when she danced, waves were sent to the earth’s core. It was who Ailish was, that made us her greatest fans.
Magical imprint
The mass heard Ailish had cut a magical imprint in the memories of everyone she met, and that had achieved more in her short life than most would in a lifetime.
Last year the rising star was named an All American Athlete, a status reserved for the most outstanding amateur athletes in the US.
Early on in her career at Dooneen Athletics Club, Ailish won national titles in sliotar throwing, shot put and javelin. She rowed for Ireland after joining St Michael’s Rowing Club, Limerick.
Excelling in sport she won a scholarship to Notre Dame, Indiana – the home of the Fighting Irish, where she fulfilled her dream of rowing four US NCAA Finals with her “shamrock sisters”.
In her memory, a guard of honour was performed on the main street by representatives from Dooneen AC and Kildimo GAA Club as well as students from Ailish’s former school, Salesians Secondary College, Pallaskenry.
Former team mates from University of London Boat Club; Notre Dame, Indiana; St Michael’s, Limerick, held up rowing oars over her wicker coffin buttered with wild flowers as it was shouldered high into the church.
Ailish’s sister Niamh, described her as “beautiful, strong, and courageous”.
In a touching tribute from the altar she added:
When Ailish Sheehan hit South Bend, Indiana, a whirlwind came to town, and their world was rocked for the better.
Ailish’s mother Catherine thanked their neighbours and friends, and the medics in Poland who treated her daughter with “expert care”.
She also paid a special tribute to one of Ailish’s friends who performed first aid on her after her fall.
Thank you to Jacob, who resuscitated Ailish at the scene of the accident. Although her injuries were not compatible with life, he got her breathing until the paramedics came. That gave us time to be with her in hospital, and a time to be with each other.
“We cried, we laughed, we remembered for five precious days,” Catherine said.
Chief celebrant, Fr Joe Foley, said she had “a presence so potent, it’s remembrance will long remain as a living thing”.
Ailish, “gentle-hearted and iron-willed”, is to be cremated following a private family ceremony, in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, on Monday.
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The established parties have lied to me, threatened me and have not represented me, why would I vote for them again?
Because we need a legislature that can legislate and a government that can govern?
That doesn’t answer the question.
Govern for the elite few, fergalreid, and the devil take the hindmost?
I wouldn’t mind seeing what the alternatives can do before jumping all over them. The fact is the so called proven party whip system is working for the upper echelons of society but not for the whole of society. If independents do hold the balance in the next general election or can band together to form some sort of an alliance I would sooner vote for them than the alternative which is more of the same.
I also will see what independents have to offer.at the moment you can’t judge them about there policies because there not in government. The only policies that matter at the moment is current governments policies and they are not working too well . State of health service being example.
An “alliance of independents”? What benefits would that have over a political party? These lads never want to go into government. They just want to have the next government beholden to them. Some of the greatest cronyism and political skulduggery has historically been between a Taoiseach in need of a majority and independent TDs with a shopping list.
Gregory , Healy Rae.
Dont forget FG’s Micheal Lowry and Dennis O Brien.
Yeah Dobby is the most powerful Independent in the Dail !
We will have a dail full of splinter groups and loose relations. All pointing out whats wrong. And not one cohesive solution.
The ULA lasted just 5 weeks in 2011, falling out over personalities….
Your comment is a bit one sided how many TDs have Labour and Fine Gael lost since they came to power?
This Govt has lied and lied and lied again to us. Why would we trust them again?
Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour with the help of the PDs & the Greens have between them destroyed our country. And this Govt are destroying our Society. Its time now for us to take our courage in our hands and try something new.
5 weeks??
Jan 2010 – Feb 2013.
3 years.
Old Party politics / whip system is dead in this country , it’s time to form a proper left led alternative govt which is looking to serve the people and not serve themselves , FF / FG / LAB / SF all have the own agendas and will offer the people the sun moon and stars to form the next govt , time to move away from this type of politics completely ,
I’m looking forward to see what these alliances and new groups have to offer , The Independents will have a big say in all of this . More power to the people and less to the self serving parties
@Gordon: What are the odds there will be mass resignations from the Government backbenches between now and the General Election as the ones that voted for all the austerity try to change their spots and stand for election as an Independent.
They’d be worse off ( if possible ) if they went down that road , there Gonna stick to there guns on this , It will also add to there already predicted downfall
FF and FG are nothing more than civil war fan clubs. If they had any sense of democracy they would disband and we would get new parties clearly divided on ideological grounds.
Don’t worry if you miss voting in the next election, you’ll get your chance to vote in another one a few months later.
Well won’t be long till we find out now.
Independents and ‘left parties’ would’nt last 5 months never mind 5 years.
The Dail seems to be optics, most of the power is concentrated in the gang of four . Its like the punch and judy show. I wonder how much actual work gets done . I remember being in a pub after FF crashed out of the election last time and the Ard Feis was being held nearby. The party faithful highest priase for another party member was “hes/shes a great party man/woman “. All of the talk was how do we rebuild the party, and get back into power. The other event was an emmigration fare being help at the RDS the irony was lost on them. I imagine this was the same dicussion the FG had when they were defeated in goverment. We get the leaders we deserve. Perhaps its time we examined why the same people get relected with just a different badge each time. We are mired in the politics of identity not ideas.
Those in established parties are part of a gang, where snobbery and arrogance plays a part. Stupidity and following the leader blindly are part of that to and many in these parties follow what is expected of them because they know that if they kiss the right butts then they will go far. The yes people go far in parties but those who try and do what is right never gets anywhere in parties, so that is why there are independents because those in parties will never do anything because the 3 main parties all do the same thing when they get into government and they are happy with the mess. These parties fear change because they know that the system and party will look after them. The fact is a politician in a party seems to fear working for a living and therefore wants an easy life with plenty of money, to make sure he gets this he does what he is told especially when Merkel is about?
Why can’t Finian McGrath not bring Lucinda together with Clare Daly and Joe Higgins for a real alternative?
They could stand for integrity, change, a break with the past, honesty, and a new start.
They wouldn’t need to agree on a new name just yet.
Then we would really be sucking diesel.
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