Field of Hope in memory of husband and children who died in tragic accident opens in Donegal

The garden has been developed by Geraldine Mullan, Catherine Carlin, the Redcastle Village Association, the Mullan HOPE sunflower festival and local farmer John McCarron with the help of the wider community to mark the second anniversary of the death’s of Geraldine’s husband John and children Tomás and Amelia.

On August 20, 2020 John, Geraldine and their children were returning to their home in Moville following a trip to Derry when their car left the road and entered Lough Foyle. Geraldine was the sole survivor in the tragic road accident.

An open invite has been issued for everyone to come along today, August 19, tomorrow Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 when the colourful project will open to the public.

Geraldine said: “Previously, John McCarron would reap a nice barley crop from his two and a half acres that lie between the R238 and Lough Foyle. This year he let two ladies convince him to try something different. The leap of faith was enacted in spring when he reached for sunflower seeds instead. Well his new tillage and the regular attention and care from Catherine, myself and the ‘sunflower fairies’ over the last few months has still produced a seasonal bounty of gold, it is just a slightly taller and more yellowy version than before. Bordered by a mixture of wildflowers – from poppies to calendula, from cornflowers to daisies – this little slice of radiant nature is now a colourful forecourt to the water beyond.

“Just a few hundred metres from where that same water claimed my beautiful family on August 20, 2020 and where a memorial, Three Sleepers now stands in solemn commemoration, these majestic and eye-catching sunflowers are intended to bring hope in these much needed times.

“My motto has been ‘never lose hope’ so when we thought up this project and named it accordingly, we wondered could we go a step further and have it physically expressed by the landscape. The idea became a reality when a maze was painstakingly carved out within the crop in the shape of those HOPE letters. Not only can one stand and admire the view. but they can also take their own little journey through the field (please don’t attempt this walking in future years if John has gone back to his barley growing). The second anniversary of my beloved John, Tomás and Amelia’s passing is August 20, 2022. The Field of HOPE will be open to the public 12pm-5pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.”