Swinford Butterfly Garden is hailed as a 'fabulous project'

Members of The Butterfly Garden committee in Swinford were universally praised by councillors at last week's meeting of Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District. 

The Butterfly Garden received a special award at the Pride of Place awards at the Armagh City Hotel last month. The garden serves as a memorial to deceased babies.

Members of the organising committee, Stephanie Maloney-Diaz, Bernadette King, Anita O’Sullivan and Natasha Durkan gave a presentation to councillors at the newly re-opened Charlestown Library last week.

Ms Maloney-Diaz came up with the idea in 2020 during the Covid-19 lockdown. She wanted to create a place for bereaved parents as some do not have a grave for their children. On July 16, 2020, she met with Ms King and the Swinford Butterfly Garden was born. It is a unique project as it is the first of its kind in Ireland.

The garden, which is located at Brabazon Woods, received funding from local councillors through their General Municipal Allocation (GMA), and it was officially opened in August 2022.

However, the organising committee is now seeking funding to install public lighting and maintain the footpaths in the garden.

Cllr Michael Burke called it a “fabulous project” and said it brings people together.

“It doesn’t matter whether you lost your child one year ago, ten years ago, 50 years ago,” Cllr Burke said.

Cllr John Caulfield said he was delighted to support the project, adding that it highlights the importance of the GMA. Cllr Damien Ryan said to win at the Pride of Place Awards shows the quality and calibre of the project.

Cllr Neil Cruise said it was a project that has a personal importance to him and it is so peaceful whenever he visits it. He advised the four women to apply for LEADER funding to install the public lights.