By Paddy McCarthy
It’s here! The biggest day of the year, Christmas Day that I have said all along is my favorite day of the year. I know it should be a happy time for everyone except that a lot has happened now with this double pandemic upon us and a lot of people sick I am sad to say. I did not ever think that we would ever see anything like it in my life time or anybody’s for that matter.
The hospitality business is the first to be affected by this as part of new restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the Omicron variant. Now I don’t want to be a Debbie-downer with all this bad news. As I’ve said before this should be all our happy times.
This came to me from a great friend of The Irish Examiner USA whose name is Shane Humphry and before I give his note a mention, I want to thank him for all the support as it has helped us quite a lot because he has put the word and the link out there. I personally would like to say to him and his family: wishing you all a very Happy Christmas. So here we go, Dia Daoibh Go Leir!
“Hope everyone is doing okay and staying healthy. As I am sure you are aware this Omicron variant is spreading like crazy. Everywhere I look people are lining up to be tested and apparently the numbers infected are really high. In an abundance of caution, and especially noting we have some older members I think it only prudent to postpone the Meet and Greet until the present situation has passed. I know some people changed plans to be able to make the 22nd. My apologies, but no one saw this coming.
“I will be in touch after The New Year. In the meantime, here’s wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Safe and Healthy New Year. Beannachtai na Nollaig Go Leir agus An Atha Bhliain Sasta agus Shona Slan.” As I said this came from Shane, I must say we need more like him.
Here is some very sad news that came to me from our good friend Kevin Driscoll that I would like to let you know about. Kevin and his wife Victoria Driscoll lost their son Kevin, RIP, on May 1st of this year at 17 years of age that is heartbreaking. They are a wonderful family who reside in Manhasset, Long Island, New York and have been getting unbelievable support from friends, family, football teams, basketball teams and all who knew young Kevin.
The support for the family is overwhelming since the passing of their son as the championship game was at Manhasset High School. The school had all the flags at half mast in honor of Kevin during the game. Kevin, his father, was telling me that “MHS football played for the Nassau County championship and my wife Victoria and I were at the game. We got this text the Saturday morning before the game. My son died May 1. His graduation was in June. There was a moment of silence for him at his HS graduation in Manhasset.
“One of the players on his team sent this to the family, I want to let you know how loved he was. It said ‘Mr. Driscoll – It’s Rory Connor – QB of the Manhasset Football Team. I just wanted to reach out to you and let you know how special your son is and how much we all miss him. I am so glad that I was able to get to know him more throughout last football season. One of the nicest kids I have ever met. We all miss him so much and it’s a crazy coincidence that out county championship game is on his 1-year anniversary. This game today is for Kevin and I know he is watching down on all of us.’”
Isn’t that nice it’s so nice how much he is missed and loved, Kevin and Victoria he is in a very good place I promise you and looking down on you as he knows how much he is loved.
Though Kevin’s parents, Kevin Driscoll Sr. and Victoria Driscoll, said their emotions took time to catch up to the reality of the situation, “It was during that period that I had tremendous support from the local people,” Driscoll Sr. said with his son’s jersey folded in front of him. “We didn’t ask for that support, but we had more resources and comfort and understanding than we could ask for.”
For the Driscoll’s, that support came in many forms. From text messages to nearly 100 sympathy cards to small prayer gatherings and both preserving and replicating Kevin’s football jersey, the family said neighbors’ behavior was characteristic of Manhasset.
“They reach out to the affected party with open arms in a respectful manner,” Driscoll Sr. said of the way Manhasset mourns. “From people giving gift cards to calling to check in, and people making themselves available to us, there’s nothing more that you could ask for them. They constantly kept picking us up and saying, ‘we got you,’” Victoria Driscoll said. “That helps,” Driscoll Sr. added.
This is another major announcement that will be in Kevin’s memory, the alumni basketball game is scheduled for December 26th at 3 pm located at Immaculata Hall (across from Wiest Hall, 1340 North Boulevard, Manhasset, NY). Be sure to try to get to the basketball game in Kevin Driscoll’s memory as it is free to attend and is a nice Christmas gesture for all the people who would like to pay respects to Kevin.
From the staff here at The Irish Examiner USA we also would like to send our respects to the family.
We now have to look forward to better and happier times that will come so let’s just make the best as we can of it now because life has to go on so let’s make the best of it.
From all the staff at The Irish Examiner USA we’d like to wish all our readers and sponsors a very Happy Christmas because if not for you we would not be here and you’ve made us who we are and we thank you so much.
The countdown is on, 51 issues down and 1 more issue for 2021 to go. Between the bad times and good times we’ve made it to the end of the year with all that you have asked for in the paper.
Hope to see you all again when I am Out&About again…