Elber Twomey says this year's 'remorial' fundraiser is the last

'Bittersweet moment' for inspirational North Cork woman whose fundraising and campaigning began after her husband, son, and unborn daughter were killed in a horror crash

After raising €200,000, this year’s 'remorial' on June 10 and 11 will be the last, says Elber Twomey. Picture: Robbie Reynolds

Elber Twomey, the inspirational woman whose entire family was wiped out in a horrific crash involving a suicidal driver, has called time on their annual ‘remorial’ charity fundraiser after a decade.

The road safety and mental health campaigner, from North Cork, said this June’s Twomey Family Remorial — a fundraising event born out of the tragedy which claimed the life of her husband Connie, son Oisín, and their unborn daughter Elber Marie in a horror crash in 2012 — will be the last.

“It’s a very bittersweet moment, but I feel it’s the right call,” she told the Irish Examiner.

“I would like it to be known in years ahead as a wonderful weekend, not something that would die out slowly. I would like it to go out on a high, and I think that’s the right thing to do.

Just because it’s over, they won’t be forgotten and it certainly won’t diminish the impact they have had on people, over the last 10 years especially.

 She also insisted that her road safety and mental health campaigning will go on. She has worked with police forces in Ireland and the UK on suicide awareness training, with the Road Safety Authority and various suicide support charities here, and has been honoured in several countries for her work.

Elber Twomey lost her husband Connie, son Oisín, and their unborn daughter Elber Marie in a horror crash in 2012.

Elber lost Oisín, aged 16 months, and her unborn daughter Elber Marie, when a suicidal taxi driver drove head-on into their car as they returned from a family holiday in Devon in 2012.

The driver, Marek Wojciechowski, who had left a suicide note at home, was being pursued by a police officer in a marked car moments before he swerved directly into the Twomeys’ car.

Connie suffered devastating injuries in the crash and died in Cork University Hospital 10 months later.

Elber suffered severe injuries and underwent almost 20 operations. When she recovered she, her brother Tomas and two of Connie’s closest friends launched the Twomey Family Remorial weekend in 2013 to promote the reality of how precious life is and to raise awareness of mental health issues.

They also set out to raise funds for the hospitals which cared for her family, for suicide support and mental health charities, and for Brú Columbanus near Cork University Hospital, which provides home-from-home accommodation for relatives of seriously-ill patients.

Within three years the event, which featured sponsored cycles, fun runs, GAA matches, and table quizzes in the Meelin and Rockchapel areas of North Cork, had raised more than €110,000.

Charities including The 3Ts, Pieta House, Reach Out, Suicide Aware Cork, and Walk in My Shoes were among the beneficiaries.

After raising €200,000 to date, this year’s event on June 10 and 11 will be the last, with a table quiz, a 55km cycle, a 5km run, and a 5km family walk.

Elber's husband Connie suffered devastating injuries in the crash and died in Cork University Hospital 10 months later. Picture: PA  

Her cousin Sean Twomey, who runs the Golden Hind pub in Brixham, Devon, is also planning a special fundraiser the same weekend, climbing a hill 200 times to reach the equivalent height of Mount Everest. Sean said everyone has been inspired by Elber’s courage, not only in recovering from the collision and finding it in her heart to forgive the taxi driver, but going on to devote almost a decade to road safety reforms.

Ms Twomey said she plans to continue that work and recruit a new generation of "seat-belt sheriffs" —  children who will encourage their parents to wear seatbelts on even the shortest journey.

“A seatbelt saved my life,” she said.

“It’s not that parents, grannies, and grandads don’t care about road safety, it’s just that sometimes they forget, and they sometimes need someone to take charge of that safety role in the back of the car.” 

She will also continue to support the Connie Twomey Memorial Cup, a hurling competition for under 12s in the Dunhallow area.

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