Nora’s 90th birthday ‘presents’ go to LauraLynn

A GRANDMOTHER from Silvermines who asked people to donate cash to a charity that has greatly improved the quality of life of her grandson has issued “a big thank you” to all of those who contributed.

Nora Ryan from Kilmore celebrated her 90th birthday with family and friends in Buddy’s Bar in Capparoe on September 7 last.

People wanted to give her presents to mark her nine decades of life, but Nora came up with what she felt was a much better idea.

She asked her guests to instead donate a sum of money, which she pledged to donate to the LauraLynn Foundation, the only Children’s hospice providing palliative care and support to children with life-limiting conditions and their families in Ireland.

Nora had a special reason for choosing that specific charity. One of her grandsons Liam (16), who lives in County Laois, has had a vastly better quality of life because of the existence of LauraLynn.

As it turned out, many people gave cash instead of presents to Nora for the cause, generating a grand sum of €1,330.

It was an auspicious day recently when Liam himself presented his grandmother’s donations to the LauraLynn Foundation.

Liam is just one of 23 adored grandchildren of Nora, who herself is a mother of 11 children and who has a total of 19 great-grandchildren.

“I wish to thank everyone who donated so much money to LauraLynn as the foundation has really been a big support to Liam and his family, and to many more families around the country down to the years,” Nora told The Guardian.

Nora also happens to be this newspaper’s correspondent for the Parish of Silvermines, a role she has excelled in for several decades, writing weekly accounts of all the news and events from the area.