THE book of condolences for Limerick songbird Dolores O’Riordan, who died suddenly in January, gave comfort to her grieving family this week after it was presented at a ceremony in City Hall this Wednesday.
Mayor Stephen Keary presented the book with over 16,000 signatures — the biggest book of condolence ever in the history of the local authority — to Dolores’ mother Eileen, brothers Donal, Terry and Joe and other family members.
“I feel so happy that the people of Limerick were so good. I can’t believe the reaction of everybody. The love that poured out and the support, everybody was so supportive,” Eileen O’Riordan said on being presented with the book of condolences.
“It’s very hard to absorb it you know, it is really to think about my little girl, you know, and what she did in her life, you know it’s nice. It is really lovely. I miss her an awful lot, sometimes I don’t miss the rock star but I miss my little girl. You know I can look at all her picture and watch her on telly without getting upset, but if I look at her confirmation pictures and the like, that is upsetting alright. I’m sure she’s in Heaven, only for my faith with Easter coming — new life, Spring — I believe she is in Heaven.”
Dolores’ grieving mother Eileen also said she was “amazed” that so many signed the book of condolences for her daughter.
“This is amazing. I can’t believe that all those names are there and all those people and I will read them. I will read every one of them in my own time. Getting this book is another step forward, moving on and I feel she’s happy, I really feel she’s happy. I feel her spirit is around all the time.
“She was that type of person anyway. When she’d come in to the room, even as a child, she would grab the attention. She is in Heaven, please God and she is with us. People are coming to her grave all the time, even last weekend, there were three Americans, two Spaniards and two Italians, as well as people from around Limerick, they still come to her grave, bringing flowers. The whole world knew her, everybody in any country of the world knew her, even the record company didn’t realise she was so loved.”
by Alan Jacques
