March 28th 2021 is a date that the residents of the Liscorrie housing estate in Drogheda will never forget. Ronan Connor, a well-known musician nicknamed ‘Bones’ died of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome on that date aged just 39.
As the shock of Ronan’s passing filtered around the tight-knit community everyone gathered to support his loving wife, Louise, and his daughters, Sophia and Mia.
Not long after his passing, it was suggested by the Liscorrie Residents Association that a defibrillator was needed for the area to ensure that ‘Bones’ passing was not in vain and that this vital life-saving device might save someone else’s life if required.
Having received the the seal of approval from Louise Scanlan and the Connor family, the campaign got underway and today Saturday October 14, two years later and having overcome one or two obstacles, Liscorrie Housing Estate’s defibrillator was finally unveiled.
“I would like to thank the Liscorrie Residents Association, Order of Malta and Cllr. Declan Power, thank you for all your help getting the Defibrillator” Louise said.
“I am so happy to know that lives can be saved by having this equipment in our estate. This is a beautiful way to honour Ronan, who we miss dearly” she added.
The Chairperson of Liscorrie Residents Association Emilia Mokrauz said, “After two years, we finally managed to install the Community Defibrillator.
“This would not have been possible without the help of the Order of Malta, Tuath Housing and the support of Cllr. Declan Power. We had some struggles along the way, but as a community, we pulled together to overcome them. I want to thank Liscorrie residents and everyone involved for their hard work and input into this project. This defibrillator will save lives.”
14/10/2023 Louise Scanlan Connor is pictured cutting the tape to officially launch the defibrillator at Liscorrie with members of the Liscorrie Residents Association (from left): Ruth Cowley (Secretary), Emilia Mokrauz (Chair), Angela Ghirghircic (Treasurer) Giedre Celik and Councillor Declan Power.
“The next step is to provide training to our residents on how to use this device and we’ll work on this within the next couple of weeks.”
Councillor Declan Power attended the Liscorrie sports day in August 2021 as Deputy Mayor of Drogheda and, after helping to plant a tree in memory of Ronan, pledged his support in fundraising and campaigning to have a defibrillator installed in the estate.
“I want to commend the hard work of the Liscorrie Residents Association for their persistence in finally getting this invaluable life-saving device installed for their community” he said today.
“They have set the bar for other residents’ associations and housing estates to follow. I want to also commend the work of the Order of Malta and the Louth Meath Defibrillator Unit in providing these life-saving devices in Drogheda and the surrounding district, thus giving reassurances that in the event of a cardiac emergency, one can be located close by.”
