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A FAIRY-THEMED GARDEN has been donated to St Therese’s children’s ward at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe.
The two Longford women, Grainne Brady from Shannonorchard.com and Jasmine Elkhershi from Procrastimake.com, received a certificate of distinction for their fairy garden and trail in the postcard garden section at Bloom this year.
The garden, called the Magic of Kindness, is about how “the smallest acts of kindness can create magic in someone’s day”.
The garden, sponsored by Ardcarne Garden Centre, features fairy houses, a wishing well and a fairy trail. A wishing chair was artfully crafted by the maintenance team at the hospital and added to the garden, and the Longford Irish Countrywomen’s Association craft class made the fairy doors for a ‘fairy hotel’.
Craft blogger Jasmine says she got the idea of installing the garden in the hospital grounds because her friend’s daughter, who is suffering from a rare form of cancer, is treated there.
“We decided to donate the garden to St Therese’s ward to remind the children, who have already dealt with so much, that there is still magic in the world. Really, we just wanted to put a smile on their faces,” she said.
Through their efforts, the pair have also raised €1,132 for the charity Funds for St Therese’s through generous donations at Bloom. The money will be used to redecorate the isolation unit in the ward.
Landscaper Grainne explains, “We had a wishing well in the garden at Bloom and the children kept asking their parents for money to throw in it.
We hadn’t planned that but it just happened and so we donated that money as well. It’s more proof of the Magic of Kindness that’s out there.
The garden has already received a seal of approval from the children who couldn’t wait to explore as the garden was installed, Jasmine said.
“We overheard one child ringing her grandmother and saying ‘I’m on a sleepover in the hospital and there’s fairies everywhere!’ She was so excited, it made it all worthwhile.”
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I refused to give up my seat yesterday and got nothing but daggers from everyone else… Its not my fault she got pregnant!
I think its important to remember Claudette Colvin, who history has forgotten in relation to this story. Read her story.
Thanks for the info. Didn’t know that.
Meanderings, I didn’t know that piece of information. Cheers.
Meanderings , I also never knew that , fair play .
@Meanderings, thanks for your mention of Claudette. It appears her age, her colour(pigmentocracy) and her circumstance went against her. Its a sad indictment that she was never truly recognised as the first to stand up to the bus segregation in Al . Even today most of her work colleagues in NY dont know her story.
Totally right. The whole boycott is a tremendous story, and although Parks was pivotal, it was kind of a planned pivot. Colvin didn’t fit the bill they needed to really make headlines, make a stand and propel the cause forward, a sad reality. Parks was well known and respected in the community and they knew people would get behind her and that her story would make a real impact. I always tell people to read up on the Montgomery bus boycott whenever they mention Parks, to get them to see the whole picture. And there are so many other nuances to the civil rights movement that most folks aren’t aware of – some of which makes current tensions in certain US states a bit clearer. Fascinating stuff.
You have opened my eyes to something I never knew! I’m actually amazed at how they engineered it that Parks was the heroine because she fit the profile better.
If it was today she probably would’ve been shot
Doubt it but she would be all over Buzzfeed.
Such dignity & class. Wonder if our water warriors could learn a trick or two.
How about the pink ladies who stood in a line outside the garda station in coolock to highlight the abuse of woman by guards, pretty peaceful by any standards and the guards were peeping out the Windows like cowards at them, great community relations altogether.
Brave lady who helped change history and sounded quite stoical about to boot!
In America the percentage of African Americans unemployed is much higher than amongst the White community. Black politicians are rare and ones occupying positions of power even rarer(Obama being the exception). The booming IT market is run by predominantly white men and Silicon Valley has recently being charged with institutionalised racism. Every major American city has large communities of African Americans living in extreme poverty and let’s not forget that the police think that being black is reason enough to shoot on sight. So let’s ask the question; what has really changed for African Americans since Rosa Parks made her stand?
Hard to believe that the same country, the USA, was trying to transplant its so called version of democracy around the globe and yet did not afford its coloured citizens the same privileges. Makes you wonder!
The sad thing is that I could easily imagine our own guards doing exactly the same thing, “just following the law” I reckon a requirement of being a guard us that you have to be clueless.
I think ‘just following orders ‘is the mantra. The nazis said the same thing.
In fairness the cop was thinking that if he didn’t arrest her he was fit to be lynched himself.
Thankfully keelan some people don’t care about the consequences. Look up a guy called Wilhelm canaris, a nazi general who thwarted Hitler whenever he could.
Keelan that’s exactly my point, the govt hire people with no moral compass, why do you think Ireland’s always been such an insular society.
So cupid you would only inforce laws you agreed with??
Sometimes mark you have to do the right thing. You should never just accept what you’re told blindly!
Again are you saying you would only inforce laws you wanted too? Cupids comment was about ireland, what laws would he not inforce in Ireland?
The nazis weren’t racist. Hitler had black and chinese men in his armies. At the olympics in 1936 hitler was respectful of the black athletes when the yanks weren’t.
While the US wanted us to believe it was an open and fair society as opposed to the communists is Russia in the 50′s, it was a racist and apartheid one until President JFK. Guess what, Kennedy was assassinated and the racism there still continues. Here in racist Ireland we are no better with our No Blacks, no Dogs and now no Muslims ..anyone here with an open mind want to discuss this issue?
Sure the feckers went and shot black Friday last week
lol, I don’t think you can just say blacks. Maybe the black population of…
It
You make a compelling argument Deborah
Harsh but fair.
It’s gas, when I first heard of her it was 40 years ago. Soon it will be 100.
have your say