At a ceremony in County Hall , hosted by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Jane and Brendan McKenna were awarded the County’s Civic Honour, following a formal nomination by An Cathaoirleach, Cllr Barry Saul, in May 2016.
Jane and Brendan McKenna are the founders of the LauraLynn Children’s Hospice Foundation, which they set up in 2001 following the death of their two daughters, Laura and Lynn, within two years of each other.
Mr and Mrs McKenna were joined by family and friends at the civic reception. This is only the second civic honour conferred by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and Mr and Mrs McKenna remarked, “We are delighted and honoured to have received a Civic Award in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown”.
An Cathaoirleach, Cllr Barry Saul, commented “It is a great privilege to award the County’s highest honour – the Civic Honour - to Jane and Brendan for their tireless work in fundraising and raising awareness for families with children with life-limiting or threatening conditions requiring respite care. Jane and Brendan finally saw the result of their efforts in 2011 – the opening of Ireland’s only children’s hospice in the grounds of the Children’s Sunshine Home in Leopardstown”.
The Hospice, dedicated to the memory of their daughters, cost €5.5m to build and costs €3.5m annually to run. The money is raised through fundraising and generous donations by members of the public and corporate organisations.
Cllr Saul presented Mr and Mrs McKenna with a Certificate of Honour and sterling silver scroll, crafted by a local silversmith, which bears a specially commissioned stamp for the centenary year.
Other guests included local Councillors, Ministers and TDs, as well as board members and staff from the LauraLynn Children’s Hospice.
Article Published: 06/06/2016