Tributes paid as ‘the best of us’ laid to rest

THE legacy left by Clare Haven Services co-founder Mary Fitzgerald was remembered at her funeral mass last week as family and friends said their goodbyes to the woman described as “the best of us”. Speaking at her funeral mass in Kilnamona Church, family friend Fr Tom Hogan recalled, “She was always dreaming dreams, always saw new possibilities and wanted to do the very thing that came natural to her. She was a doer and she achieved so much and so many people are the better because Mary Fitz lived.”
Originally from Maghera in Inagh, Mary later lived at Ballymacahill in Ennis with her loving family.
Husband Martin Feerick paid tribute to his loving wife describing her as “always a character”, “wonderful” and the “best person you could ever give a job to do, but along with that she was just full of craic and fun”.
He said they were both very different people, acknowledging, “we were a bit of an odd couple”, however they shared a very special love.
“We always encouraged each other to do the things we wanted to do, and to be the best we could be at what we did.”
This included Mary’s decision to volunteer in Kolkata with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity and in a Romanian orphanage, and later her work with Clare Haven.
He detailed Mary’s “wonderful positive way of thinking that kept her going at all times” as well as her love for their children Caoimhe and Enya, her mother Kathleen and the rest of her family.
He spoke about the pivotal role Mary played in setting up Clare Haven Services.
“Mary was working full time and had two kids and personally I found it amazing that someone like that could take on an enormous responsibility like developing something like Haven House, and further going on and pushing forward into the second phase of Haven Horizons,” he said.
“When she came back from Romania and Kolkata she knew she wanted to do something in the voluntary sphere, there is a song, ‘To Leave Something Behind’. It was important to her that she left a legacy.”
Joined by Colette Reddington and other like minded individuals she established Clare Haven Services in 1993.
As well as providing a safe refuge for those affected by domestic violence, abuse and coercive control, Mary strongly believed that education played an important role in “breaking the cycle” – prompting the establishment of Haven Horizons.
Martin detailed how with Madeline McAleer an accredited training programme in partnership with TUS has been developed by Haven Horizons saying, “it’s wonderful to see what they have done”.
Over the years Mary’s tireless work and dedication was honoured for her work by a number of organisations. 
She was named as Christine Buckley Volunteer of the Year in 2018 and in 2019 was the grand marshall of the Ennis St Patrick’s Day Parade. In 2020 she was presented with the Clare Association Dublin Hall of Fame Award.
According to Martin in accepting this award, Mary did so “on behalf of so many great people who have done so much work.
She was the recipient, but behind that award was a whole army of people who had done wonderful work.”
He added Mary “has been part of developing a great heritage that has been handed on.”
He acknowledged the support of family, friends and neighbours in the days following Mary’s passing saying, “it would really restore your faith in people”.
He concluded, “Thank you Mary. You gave all of us your love, your kindness, your laughter, your tears, your joy and your sadness.
“You gave yourself selflessly, always trusting that you would receive so much in return. You were the best of us”.
Fr Tom shared some memories of Mary, including a photograph which hangs in the family hallway taken by John Kelly on the day Clare Haven first opened.
“Mary is wrapped around the small little Enya,” he said.
“It’s a lovely image because that is what she did for so many people, she wrapped herself around them.”
Burial took place after the funeral mass in the adjoining cemetery in Kilnamona.
Mary Fitzgerald is predeceased by her father Gerard, sister Geraldine and sister-in-law Bridie.
She is survived by her husband Martin Feerick,  children Caoimhe and Enya, mother Kathleen, siblings Brendan, Raymond, Gerard, Kevin, Sheila and Sinead, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbours and friends.