Clare Fm - Podcasts

Tributes are being paid to the Clare woman who provided a light in the darkest moments to countless women and young families across the county. Mary Fitzgerald, who was one of the original founders of Clare Haven over 30 years ago, will be laid to rest this lunchtime after a funeral mass at Kilnamona Church. Before establishing the county's first dedicated 24/7 refuge service for victims of domestic abuse in 1993, Mary took vulnerable women and their children into her own home. For her efforts, she was named the Christine Buckley volunteer of the year in 2018 and was inducted into the Clare Association of Dublin Hall of Fame two years later. Today, Mary's workshops to establish abusive patterns early in relationships, still remain part of the SPHE programme taught in secondary schools. Director of Clare Haven Services Dr Siobhán O'Connor says Mary's legacy will be everlasting.