Overwhelming support for Sunflower Festival honouring Mullan family

The Journal recently reported how the Redcastle Village Association is to extend its annual festival to honour Amelia, Tomás and John Mullan, who died following a collision in Quigley’s Point last August.

The thoughtful festival sees young and old planting, nurturing and growing sunflowers, with competition categories including ‘Tallest Sunflower.’

The local community was devastated when the father, son and daughter died and rallied behind their wife and mother, Geraldine.

Tanya McColgan told the Journal how the family, who owned a garden centre, had taken part in the festival last year and it was decided to extend it beyond Redcastle in their honour.

The committee urged people in all areas, north and south, to plant sunflowers in their gardens and, in particular, at the roadside along the Foyle, so that Geraldine could see the beautiful tribute when they bloom close to the anniversary in August.

Tanya revealed how the response to their appeal has been ‘overwhelming,’ with scores of people pledging to plant sunflowers in the family’s memory.

“The tributes coming in from all over Ireland and other countries is just beautiful This isn’t a fundraiser but a nice way to remember the Mullans - simply plant a sunflower with love.”

Tanya is getting seed packs ready for distribution in all Inishowen post offices next week and will be dropping them off to schools. She is currently posting seeds “all over”, but this will be capped at some point and she hopes that people will source a pack online if they too wish to take part. She added how others could also “pass on a potted plant as a gift to a neighbour or post some seeds to a friend elsewhere in the country”.

See Redcastle Village Association on Facebook for more