Flower power pupils use Confirmation cash for good cause

“The children arrive every June, like garden elves, bringing joy to all, especially, the patients.”

Those were the words of a visibly-uplifted Irene Murphy, the bereavement and family support officer at Marymount Hospice, Cork.

She was commenting on the arrival of the sixth-class pupils from Ballinora National School who, in an inspiring demonstration of flower power, donated a portion of their Confirmation money and money raised in a cake sale, before arriving every Friday for the past five weeks to fill the teardrop-shaped beds with hundreds of plants.

It is the third year the school has undertaken the initiative and Rose Murphy, 12, smiling and oblivious to the mud on her face, said: “It feels really good to cheer up the patients.”

School principal Mícheál Ó Draighneáin said: “The original idea was to give practical effect to the commitment made by the pupils as part of their Confirmation programme. Walking the walk, so to speak.

“At a basic level, they learn about caring for plants but the real benefit here is the good they’re doing for the patients, who have told us how much they like the chatter and buzz.

“At a place where people are perhaps at something of a low ebb, they welcome the distraction, not to mention the beauty of the flowers.

“The children donated €700 from their Confirmation money and raised €800 through a cake sale.

“Much credit is also due to Charlie O’Leary of The Pavilion Garden Centre in Ballygarvan. He was very taken by the fact the children donated their own money and he supplied hundreds of euro worth of flowers, and also spent many hours here, advising and helping,” said Mr Ó Draighneáin.

“I must stress, though, that the monetary value is comparatively insignificant when measured against what the pupils learn and hopefully what the clients of Marymount gain from the experience; that is the true value of what they’re doing.”

Marymount interim chief executive officer Sarah McCloskey described the children’s actions as “inspiring”. “By their generosity, we see the children putting the spiritual side of their Confirmation teaching into action.

“We receive state funding, but it’s never enough, and it’s only through the incredible generosity of the Cork people that we can provide the service people deserve.

“ It’s good, too, that the children learn the value of giving. There are so many wins and the school and its pupils deserve huge praise.”