'I felt like I had to protect her': Grace Lynch's mum recalls harrowing moments after her death

Siobhán Gifford Lynch speaks of her daughter needing special make-up at her wake to cover her injuries, which were so severe organ donation was not possible

Siobhán Gifford Lynch with Grace's dog Charlie at her home in Finglas, Dublin. Pictures: Gareth Chaney

The first moments after Grace Lynch died in hospital were not what her mother, Siobhán Gifford Lynch, had imagined they would be.

The family was taken to a private room, a space meant to offer some peace. What has stayed with Siobhán is not the quiet, but what she was unable to do for her daughter as she lay dying.

“I couldn’t even kiss my baby’s lips,” she says. “I couldn’t do anything.” 

Grace Lynch, 16, from Finglas in west Dublin, had been on her way to her boyfriend’s football match nearby on January 25 when she was struck by a scrambler bike. The force of the collision left her with catastrophic injuries.

Siobhán recalled being brought into a family room near the emergency department at Connolly hospital, with little time to take in what was happening. “I knew,” she said. “I just knew.” 

Siobhán was told Grace’s heart had begun to beat again, it was a moment of hope in a devastating situation. “She heard me, I know she did,” she says. 

The rest of the family arrived. Siobhán says she sang softly to her daughter, as she had when she was younger.

Grace Lynch died after being hit by a scrambler bike in January.

After further examination, they were told there was no chance of recovery. What they had seen, she later understood, may have been a response to medical intervention rather than a sign Grace would survive.

“It was just… gone again,” she says.

What remains with her now is the shock of those moments and how quickly hope was offered, then taken away. “I can’t get that out of my head,” she said.

When Grace was brought home for her wake, her mother said she looked “peaceful”. The undertakers had done everything they could.

But she said the reality of her child’s injuries could not be fully hidden.

Siobhán noticed small things, like bandages and the signs of how much work had gone into preparing her daughter. “It was not about appearance” she said, “but about dignity”.

“I just wanted it to be right for her.” 

Martin and Siobhan Lynch at a tree planting ceremony for Grace in Finglas on Tuesday.

Throughout the wake at their home in Finglas, the house was filled with people. Grace was a popular and kind teenager who had many friends arriving in shock to say their goodbyes. 

“I had to mind her,” says her mother. She found herself speaking quietly to those who came forward and having to say, with kindness and care: “Please don’t touch her face."

The work that had been done was delicate, and even small gestures could disturb it. “I didn’t want to explain why to the kids, I just had to make sure Grace was OK. The undertakers use special make-up and Grace had been bruised, so I just wanted to keep her nice”.

Later, when the house had emptied, Siobhán realised more needed to be done. The undertaker returned the following morning to reapply specialised make-up, which gave some sense of peace to the family. Even then, some marks could not be completely concealed. “The whole time, I felt like I had to protect her,” she said.

She said Grace’s injuries were so severe that organ donation was not possible.

“She was failed,” says Siobhan, “by everything.”  She points to her experience in hospital. “There was no dignity. Not for her.” 

In the weeks since Grace’s tragic death, Siobhán and husband Martin have been determined to speak out about the dangers of scramblers and quad bikes on the road.

“They destroyed her,” she said. “People need to know that.”

Scrambler bikes and quad bikes continue to be used in communities across the country. This is despite 'Grace's Law' coming into effect on April 3, which sought to make use of scramblers in all public places illegal.

“It’s still happening,” said Grace's parents. “You can hear them. You can see them.” 

They are urging members of the public to report any sightings on public roads to the gardaí and to use the confidential lines. “There are people who know who’s on them,” she said. “People see it every day." 

“You might think it’s nothing,” she continued. “But it’s not nothing. It can take a life.” 

Family member Maria Doyle ties a ribbon to a tree planted in memory of Grace.

She wants Grace’s Law enforced so gardaí can “do their job”.

Siobhán told the Irish Examiner this week she has also faced intimidation for speaking out against scramblers. She has had her windows smashed in and warned she would be “put down where my daughter is”.

“I won’t stay quiet,” Siobhán said. 

In a show of determination, she was joined by her family and wider community for a day of remembrance on Tuesday. Dublin City Council planted a tree in Grace’s memory near where she was struck in Finglas, where fresh flowers continue to be left in her memory.

“It’s for her. So people will remember,” said Siobhán.

On the day she died, she had done exactly what she was supposed to do, crossing the road at the lights, believing she was safe.

“She didn’t do anything wrong,” says her mother. “She was not wearing headphones and she had the right of way.

“I will keep speaking because I don’t want anyone else to go through this."