Charitable work is no cross to bear for Delia

A MULHUSSEY woman is raising funds for Crumlin hospital this year by making more than a thousand St Brigid's Crosses.

The iconic crosses, made from rushes from Delia Heneghan's own land, were distributed at masses in Batterstown, Kilcloon and Little Chapel, Kilcock on Sunday and are also available from Bill Clarke's Shop in Kilcloon.

Those taking one of the hand-made crosses are asked to make a contribution to St John Ward in Our Lady' Hospital Crumlin, which caters for children undergoing treatment for cancer.

Delia raised over €2,240 for the Irish Cancer Society last year and has raised thousands for different charities over the years.

"I've been doing this to raise money for charity for the past 15 years. I started making the crosses 20 years ago for the local holy well.

"St Brigid's Well is in our parish and I used to do it to raise the money for insurance for the well,

“Then I discovered I was making more money than was needed for the insurance and gave what was left over to charity.

"I decided 15 years ago to make lots more of them, make more money and give it to charity," she explains

Delia lives with her brother, Patrick on their farm in Mulhussey and the two of them go out each January and cut the rushes on their land, to make the crosses.

"He is a great help and good company. This year we brought home 16 big bag of rushes."

Delia has always had a devotion to St Brigid who is her patron saint. "I was baptised, Brigid Teresa Geraldine although my family always called me Delia.

"I'm honoured this year to have a bank holiday created in my honour," she jokes.

While many of us may have made St Brigid's crosses when we were at school, Brigid only learned the craft 20 years ago.

"A neighbour taught me and now I could do it in my sleep. I made 100 last Sunday evening while I was watching television."

In fact Delia has already made 1,200 crosses over 18 days and most of those were distributed in exchange for a donation at masses on Saturday and Sunday, in advance of St Brigid's Day. They are also available from Bill Clarke' shop in Kilcloon.

While Delia's fund raising skills are legendary, she is also very well known as 'The Lady On The Bridge' - she takes to the bridge over the M4 near Maynooth to support Mayo any year they qualify for the All-Ireland final.

"Our parents Thomas and Catherine were Mayo people, so we have Mayor blood in us and support the Meath team.

"Ten years ago, when Patrick couldn't get tickets to go to see them play in Croke Park, he brought me out to the bridge over the M4 and we waved flags from the bridge.

"We do it now whenever Mayor are playing in a final. We thought last year night have been their year, but it wasn't to be," she says ruefully!

Their exploits on the bridge have attracted the attention of national radio and she has become great friends with a mother and daughter from Mayo, Maura and Maeve Middletown, who rang into the Ray Darcy show to find out who she was.

With today (Tuesday) being St Brigid's Day, Delia's fund raising is almost over and she hopes to have raised quite a substantial um for Crumlin hospital and says she could not do that without the help of Fr Stan, Bill Clarke and the people of Kilcloon, Batterstown and surrounding areas.

"I want to thank everyone who contributed and all the collectors. They have been very busy this year," she says.