Picture :Don MacMonagle
SIGNIFICANT changes are to be made to the annual programme of events in Killarney that celebrate the life and work of the late Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, the World War II hero who led thousands of people to safety in the Rome Escape Line.
An annual award, presented every year to honour persons who have carried out remarkable humanitarian deeds, is to be discontinued for the foreseeable future as the O’Flaherty Society concentrates on its programme for schools.
The committee met to review its activities and for a number of reasons – including resource, costs and logistics – a decision was taken to reduce the future programme of activities.
“Because June 2019 marked the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Rome and the effective end of the Rome Escape Line, we decided to hold the 2019 commemoration at that time. We also felt that as this would be the last humanitarian award for the foreseeable future,” chairman Jerry O’Grady said.
“It was most appropriate to use the opportunity to acknowledge the incredible selfless sacrifice made by members of the Irish Defence Forces over the previous 60 years in their peacekeeping humanitarian missions with the UN, during which time 86 of them made the ultimate sacrifice,” he added.
The committee was founded by the Killarney Chamber in 2008 with four goals:
* To erect a permanent memorial in Killarney
* To present a humanitarian award in the monsignor’s memory
* To increase awareness of his humanitarian work through school programmes and student projects
* To support related activities in the media and the arts
Mr O’Grady said: “Over the last 12 years, with the greatly appreciated invaluable support of our patrons and friends and helped by some fundraising events, all of these objectives have been achieved and indeed much, much more”.
He added that in October 2013, a widely acclaimed bronze memorial to Monsignor O’Flaherty was unveiled on Mission Road in Killarney which was one of the main aims at the outset.
“Contrary to a media opinion piece some months ago, we are happy to hear first-hand from the national Tidy Towns adjudication representative that they are more than happy with the manner in which the monsignor is commemorated in his home town, which they view in a very positive way,” Mr O’Grady stated.
For the foreseeable future the memorial society will be confining its activities to continued interaction with primary schools in terms of competitions and, with students in second and third level as a resource for projects and dissertations.
“We will continue to promote the monsignor’s story through the media and the arts. From our extensive family and society archives, we have already helped with the publishing of a number of books and articles and the creation of theatre and TV productions” the society chairman said.
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