My favourite story of the year from Limerick is...

AS someone who viewed the film Angela's Ashes at a young age, I was excited to meet Malachy McCourt's daughter Siobhan for a special sit-down interview in the George Hotel last October.

Siobhan recounted some lovely memories and told me of her belief that her Dad loved life and wanted to hold on as long as he could.

Malachy, who passed away in March at the age of 92, wanted his ashes to be scattered in Limerick to be reunited with his late brothers.

“While we were on our way home from The Lark theatre after a great show and the tribute to 'himself,' my friend was driving and took a roundabout and the urn toppled. I'm not quite sure how this happened because the lid was on so tight.” She said they were able to retrieve the ashes successively. “When the ashes toppled, I thought, ‘wow, he reallydoesn't want to go.”

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A bag carrying the ashes of the late Mr McCourt - brother of Frank McCourt who wrote the famous Angela’s Ashes - was checked for explosives at New York's JFK Airport while they were en route home to Limerick to be scattered in his native place.

Siobhan recalled how the security employee pulled out the bag of ashes and asked what it was.
She explained that it was her father and that she was bringing him home. “The look on this lady's face was priceless.”

Siobhan continued: “She didn't know whether to drop the bag. She's like, ‘really?’ I'm like, ‘yeah’. And then she says, ‘well, I have to check it first’.”

They wiped down the bag containing the ashes, for explosives. “I said he had an explosive personality. However, he's dust now, you won't have to worry,” smiled Siobhan.