Despite the miserable weather we had a massive turn-out at PJ O’Brien’s on Friday last (October 23rd) to pay tribute to our good friend Ciaran Shannon. Guests of honour for the evening were Ciaran’s Father, Andy, as well as six others including Ciaran’s brother-in-law Patrick Moules, who all made the trip from Annacurra to Toronto to be with us on the night. And what a night it was; no-one who was there that night will forget it anytime soon.
One of the main reasons for the evening was for friends in Canada to show support to Avril . - To support her through the expected delivery of herself & Ciaran's fourth child in November, and to support her into the future.
She has a road to travel, and everyone who has supported this cause wants her to know that she won’t be travelling that road alone.
Highlights of the evening included a heartfelt address by Andy Shannon, and the reading of a letter from Ciaran’s wife Avril to the gathering. It is difficult to write anything here that can come close to doing justice to the impact both of these had on all in the room and to even attempt to do so would be pointless. Suffice to say both demonstrated the great love that surrounded Ciaran in his life and now in his death, and the true class of all generations of the Shannon family.
The strength, dignity and openness of Avril’s words moved all to tears. There was prolonged silence after Josie O’Brien concluded her elegant reading of the letter as everyone tried to process the raw human emotion of what we had just heard. This letter was truly an inspiration to all who heard it and a testament to the joy of family.
The other speakers on the night spoke movingly of the impact Ciaran and Avril had on us all during their years in Canada. The speakers were Steve Mallory (Chair of the event organizing committee), Neil Morrison (representing Hub, Ciaran’s last employer in Canada), Co-Chair Cormac Monaghan (on behalf of the GAA), Greg Callan (on behalf of the Toronto Gaels) and lastly Co-Chair Mark O’Brien, Ciaran’s closest friend in Canada. Steve Mallory also read out a letter from the Prime Minister of Canada, Mr. Stephen Harper, in which Mr. Harper paid his own tribute to the enduring legacy of Ciaran Shannon.
The camaraderie on the night was also very special as people came together in unison to pay respects to this exceptional man. As would befit an event in the name of Ciaran Shannon, people enjoyed themselves immensely. M.C. Hugo Straney kept the evening flowing in his own inimitable way and significant proceeds were raised for the education fund being established for Ciaran and Avril’s daughters.
We thank all who supported the events on Friday night. We especially thank Andy and the other visitors from Ireland for honouring us with their presence, and above all we thank Avril for taking the time to write such a beautiful letter to us – one that served to remind us all why exactly we had felt the need to come together to honour Ciaran. Ni fheicfimid a leithied aris – we will not see his like again.
Special thanks to
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for the photos, our emcee Hugo Straney, and all our sponsors.
