‘Inspirational’ Fionnuala named Mum of the Year

IRELAND’s number one mum, Fionnuala Marston, is described as “the daughter I never had” by her mother-in-law who nominated her for the title.

The Donegal mother of two teenagers and grandmother of one, who left school when she was 14-years-old to work in a factory, decided to go back to full-time education a few years ago.

She went on to attain a degree in business while working full-time as a primary school secretary, studying from midnight to 4am each night to succeed.

Fionnuala, from Muff in Inishowen, is also the soccer coach at the primary school where she works, despite coping with a severe form of epilepsy she developed in her late teens.

Her mother-in-law, Kathleen Marston, who entered her in the Woman’s Way/John West Mum of the Year, said: “It is hard to put what Fionnuala is really like down on paper. I feel I am not doing her justice.”

Woman’s Way editor Áine Toner said the fact Fionnuala would not let her circumstances dictate the rest of her life was inspirational.

“She is full of real get-up-and-go and we’re honoured to award her our Mum of the Year Title for 2011.”

Fionnuala, the Ulster regional finalist, was shocked she won the title. “There are so many women that I think should have won this,” she said.

“I have the greatest mother-in-law in the world. I know everybody scolds about their mother-in-law, about this, that and the other. But I have never been able to do that. We have never had a cross word.”

This year’s competition attracted over 1,000 entries from across Ireland, with 15 mums chosen to attend the finals in Dublin — three from each province and one from Dublin.

There were four regional winners: Munster’s Noda O’Brien; Leinster’s Imelda Braisher; Connaught’s Maureen Callaghan and Dublin’s Annette Burrowes.

RTÉ presenter Bláthnaid Ni Chofaigh, was awarded Celebrity Mum of the Year by Woman’s Way readers.

She combines her broadcasting career, which has seen her recently cover the royal wedding for TG4 and judge the All-Ireland Talent Show, with being mother to four children.

Bláthnaid said that being a mother was the most important role in her life. “It’s probably the only thing in my life that I would give my heart and soul to and not question it.”

Munster Mum Noda, from Ballina, Killaloe, Co Tipperary, was nominated by her daughter, Vanessa, who described her as “everything that a perfect mother is”.

As well as being mother to two teenagers, Noda works full-time in TJ’s Angling Centre in Ballina – a fishing tackle/grocery shop that she co-owns with her husband.

She also manages to spend time with her 75-year-old mother every day as well as caring for her husband’s parents twice a week. “They’re 92- and 87-years-old, and my mother-in-law is in a wheelchair. They’re great, thank God for them,” she said.

Dublin Mum Annette Burrowes is a mother of five children, who has fostered almost 50 children since her early 20s and works part-time for the Irish Foster Care Association.

Her daughter, Lisa, who nominated her, said she was extremely proud of her.

“She really is one in a million. I think sometimes she’s actually a real-life angel,” Lisa said.