1 March 2020
Below is a short tribute Kieran wrote in memory of his mother Maureen in 2020. View the original post (Facebook) here, with the wonderful comments.
In the ongoing cleaning up/out of my apartment, I came across these photos of my Mum (above). Widowed at an early age, she raised five children with little income. She was hugely supportive of my coming out in Cork in early 80s. Her only remark was “what about your good job in the County Council?”
Although a devout Catholic, she was like many of her generation very sceptical of the church and its attitudes toward women. In the early 1980s, she asked me for an Anti-Amendment sticker to put on her car. While quite shy i think she enjoyed annoying the “pro lifers” not least in the uber middle-class Cork Douglas Golf Club when she was Lady Captain and had her own specific car parking space so that all knew her then unpopular stance .
When I came out on local radio some some biddy in the Club asked her ‘do you have a son called Kieran?’. She faced her down and replied simply “Yes, Kieran is my son”.
She loved her garden, West Cork, and picnics.
– Kieran
Photo courtesy of Catherine Rose.
One particularly encouraging comment on Kieran’s original tribute from Eoin Collins encouraged Kieran to write his memoirs. Eoin’s constant encouragement ultimately led to the production of KieranRose.ie and Kieran’s publications.
Kieran Rose 