PICTURES: Remembrance garden opens in Laois for bereaved parents

The Abbeyleix community has opened a touchingly pretty new floral sculpture, with a special significance for bereaved parents.
A little Reflection and Remembrance garden in front of Heritage House now has whitethorn blossoms in perpetual bloom, in memory of local deceased infants. CONTINUE READING BELOW PHOTO 

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A ribbon was cut on Wednesday evening, June 25 and the garden opened. Photographer Alf Harvey attended for the Leinster Express/Laois Live. 

 A Mass followed, with poet Denise Dunne reciting her poem composed for Irish unbaptised babies buried in nearby Tonduff and other Cillíni in Ireland.

The sculpture was designed by artist Jen Donnery. Steel artist Tom Delahunty shaped about 1,000 steel rods and Jen with artist Edel O’ Keeffe attached ceramic flowers to each one.

The project is led by the Tonduff Cillín committee with a local group called the Mothers of Angels. They say that the whitethorn or May bush, is said to bring a message of hope and healing.

“People who use this site will find that they are not alone, others too are also feeling the pain of losing someone close,” the committee say.

It followed the opening last year of the Tonduff Cillín garden to honour the burial site of unbaptised babies excluded from consecrated ground in the past. Information is available via a QR code on the memorial stone.