False Tanaiste & Minister for Health & Children, Mary Harney, T. D. visits the Old Angels Memory Garden in Glasnevin Cemetery On the 19th September 2005, the Tanaiste, Ms Mary Harney T. D. came to visit the Memory Garden in Glasnevin and met with Members of the Dublin Cemeteries Committee and Members of the National Executive of ISANDS. We were delighted when the Tanaiste accepted our invitation to visit the Garden. The Tanaiste was very interested in the work that was carried out and wanted to know exactly what had been done to achieve the final result. The Tanaiste then took the opportunity to see the Children’s names inscribed in the communal headstones. Our sincere thanks to the Tanaiste for taking time out of her busy schedule to visit the Memory Garden and also for her interest and support. isands newsletter 52

False It provides an opportunity to share memories of the short lives of our young children who have died in and around the time of their birth. And it gives their families and friends an opportunity not only to express their grief but also to share with one another the small, yet very precious memories, of their child’s short life. At the heart of this Memories Collection is giving the space and the time to remember. It is about enabling those closest to the child that has died to cherish the smallest details of the baby’s short life – the date of birth, a lock of hair, a fl eeting smile. It is about acknowledging the importance of your child’s life and allowing them to take their rightful place amongst your community of family and friends. Remembering is not easy but it is important. It provides the lifeline with the child that has been taken from us when we least expected it. It gives us an outlet to express the unconditional love and hopes we had for this tiny human being. It also gives us a chance to express the overwhelming sense of loss and powerlessness we feel at their sudden passing. By remembering we can stand up and acknowledge, that whilst our baby might no longer be with us, the overwhelming love and connection we feel with that child will never die. I would like to pay tribute to ISANDS for bringing together this beautiful and valuable collection. The simplicity of the cards and booklets, and the sincerity of the sentiments they express, capture quite uniquely what is often most diffi cult to say in words. They give people a chance to commemorate the short life of their child and they allow friends and family to acknowledge the huge sadness they also feel at their passing. Over the past twenty years and more ISANDS have been providing an invaluable service to grieving families who have lost a baby at birth. You have extended a hand of friendship and support at what is the darkest hour for parents. Since your establishment in 1983 you have helped us to recognise that the pain and grief associated with the loss of life at such a young age is best shared and supported in a range of different ways. The services you provide, from booklets to support meetings and information leafl ets to memorial services provide an invaluable means for parents and their families to share some of the pain associated with death. In particular, I want to pay tribute to you for your work in association with the Dublin Cemeteries Committee in restoring the Old Angels Memory Garden, as it is now known, in Glasnevin this year. For too long, stillborn babies or those who died close after birth, were buried between dusk and dawn in the Old Angels plot. No recognition was given to them, or indeed to their grieving parents, whose hopes for the future had been shattered so tragically. Not only did the restoration and opening of the Garden enable the silent grief of so many parents to be publicly acknowledged, it also gave these children the dignity and respect they deserve within our society. I want to thank ISANDS for the time, effort and above all else – thought - you have put into this valuable collection. I have no doubt that it will be a great source of comfort to many parents, their families and their friends at a very diffi cult time in their lives. I wish you the very best with your ongoing work. Thank you Bertie Ahern, An Taoiseach Launch of the ISANDS Memories Collection in the Berkeley Court Hotel I am honoured to have been invited by Ron Smith- Murphy to launch the ISANDS’ Memories Collection here today. This special event provides a valuable opportunity for refl ection. isands newsletter 53