Minister pays moving tribute to vibrant, joyous daughter

MINISTER FOR Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin yesterday spoke of how his seven-year-old daughter, Léana, who died last weekend, had inspired his family and others with her courage and stoicism in the face of illness.

Addressing mourners at the end of Léana’s funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Ballinlough, Co Cork, Mr Martin brought the congregation to its feet with a hugely moving tribute to his daughter that painted a vivid picture of a vibrant and joyous girl.

He said he and his wife, Mary, sons Micheál Aodh (16) and Cillian (10), and daughter Aoibhe (14), were heartbroken at Léana’s death, but she had shown great stoicism and courage over the past three weeks after becoming seriously ill with a heart condition.

“Thankfully, Léana’s brothers and sister were present for Léana’s final hours, and she waited for them to come. We held her in our collective arms in the moments before she died and that is a time we will keep with us as time moves on.” Léana Martin died at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London last Friday. Mr Martin recalled his youngest daughter as “the beautiful light in all our lives” for whom every day was a happy day.

“When she smiled, the room lit up and those who knew her well spoke of that captivating smile – a smile that mended every heart and made you smile too.”

Shy at first meeting someone, she would soon open up with them, he said, recalling how she stunned guests at a friend’s wedding in Boston. As he came down from the lectern after doing one of the readings, she proclaimed: “Good boy, Micheál Martin.”

He also told of how she enjoyed school at Our Lady of Lourdes in Ballinlough where she adored her teachers and classmates, and how she loved living in Silver Manor, where she helped neighbours feed their chickens and played with other children on the green.

She had loved last Christmas, when she saw real snow for the first time, while she also loved spending summers with the family in Courtmacsherry in west Cork.

“She loved going there; the beaches, the walks through the woods, feeding the horses in the stables, the ducks in Timoleague, and above all going for hot chocolate with Mary in the ice cream parlour. I loved our cycles to Timoleague with Léana on the back of the bike holding Brennan’s bread to feed the ducks. Sometimes my mind would wander and I would forget she was on the back seat behind me.

“Then I would get a flash of panic and shout ‘Léana, Léana – are you still there?’ and her lovely little hand would touch me on the back and those were the magic moments for me that I will never forget,” he said.

Paying tribute to his wife Mary for her philosophy that “you can never love a child too much”, Mr Martin said that when a friend remarked “such love she got, such love she gave”, she was referring to the extraordinary bond between Mary and Léana.

“We are in deep shock at Leana’s death. We didn’t expect it as a family. We are heartbroken and will miss the beautiful light in our lives, her beautiful smile will always stay with us, and Léana’s spirit will always be with us. We will always love you, our beautiful little princess.”

Among those at Léana’s funeral were President Mary McAleese and her husband, Martin; Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport Mary Hanafin, and Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen was represented by his aide-de-camp Comdt Michael Treacy. Other mourners included the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Michael O’Connell; Senator Donie Cassidy; Fianna Fáil TDs Michael McGrath, Michael Moynihan and Christy O’Sullivan, and Fine Gael TDs Simon Coveney and Dr James Reilly.