The Order of Malta in Castlebar is synonymous with the GAA, Reek Sunday, the St Patrick’s Day parade and many other social and sporting events, but one man ensured that Castlebar Order of Malta secured a strong reputation in Mayo and across the country.
The late Captain John Cunningham DM, officer in charge of the Castlebar unit from 1975 until his death last year, is to be honoured this weekend for his unrivalled dedication to the organisation.
To celebrate and remember Capt Cunningham’s massive contribution to the Order of Malta a Mass will be celebrated at the Order of Malta Head Quarters, Pavilion Road, Castlebar, tomorrow (Saturday January 31 ) at 6pm. Mass will be followed by the unveiling of a memorial in his memory.
The unveiling will be conducted by the Order of Malta’s national director Winnie Maye, the first female director of the organisation.
It is expected that the event will be well attended by members of the Cunningham family, friends, and past and present members of the Order of Malta.
An invitation has been issued to every Order of Malta member in the country and anyone who wishes to remember Capt Cunningham and the dedicated work he did in the provision of first aid in this county, and indeed his contribution to the community as a whole, are more than welcome to attend.
It is interesting that the Irish economy is currently in recession at a time when John Cunningham is being fondly remembered. Back in the late 1980s, when the economy was also struggling, Castlebar Order of Malta was preparing for the organisation’s golden jubilee. The jubilee was to be celebrated in 1988 and Castlebar Order of Malta undertook a £30,000 fundraising drive to erect the new headquarters at Pavilion Road in time for the jubilee celebrations.
John Cunningham led the way and it is in that same building that he will be honoured tomorrow when his colleagues and acquaintances from the Order of Malta join with his family and friends in remembering what a truly remarkable person he was. Every person who met John was touched by his kindness, gentle good humour, generous nature and his smile. He was one of a kind and someone the Order of Malta movement must be indebted to for his unwavering commitment over the years. Indeed there are hundreds of parents in Castlebar alone whose children gained invaluable first aid training under his stewardship. But first aid wasn’t the only thing they practised. Through competitions and their important role at sporting and social events, Castlebar’s moms and dads knew their children were building character and gaining a strong sense of responsibility for those weaker members of society.
The unveiling of a memorial at the Order of Malta headquarters will ensure that cadets and anyone associated with the organisations in the years to come will forever remember how the Order of Malta in Castlebar came to be such a strong and vital part of the town’s social fabric.
