Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Shaun Keenan

Derry woman who dedicated life to charity after son's plane death honoured

A memorial has been unveiled at the Clipper Festival for a Derry mother who set up a charity after her son's death.

The tribute to Annmarie Toland, who passed away in 2020, was unveiled along the city's quay on Wednesday with family and friends in attendance.

Ms Toland, originally from the Brandywell area, raised over £60,000 for charity after her son Aaron tragically died in a Thai aeroplane accident in 2007.

Read more: Derry woman explains how 'Derry Death Cafe' experience has helped change her outlook on life

The 22-year-old graduate was just three days into the trip of a lifetime to Australasia when disaster struck and the plane he was travelling aboard crashed on the island of Phuket.

Gathering outside the Foyleview Apartments on July 13, a special 'Foyleview Charity Clipper' was unveiled in dedication to her work for charity.

The boat was built by Annmarie's brother-in-law, John McVeigh, who also helped secure sponsorships from local businesses.

QR codes have also been placed on the memorial which will allow people walking passed the opportunity to scan and donate to either Foyle Hospice or Foyle Search and Rescue.

Speaking to MyDerry , Annmarie's niece, Aisling Hutton said: "She was a very thoughtful person and she immersed herself in charity work after Aaron's death. She never got over the death of her son but to keep his memory alive she would donate to charities all around the city in his honour.

"She would organise car boot sales in Derry and Donegal and be constantly fundraising. She would've also given to those in her own community that was in need as well. She set up a charity in Aaron's name - the Aaron Toland Charity.

"It was something to help her get on with her own life and as a family, we all helped to keep Aaron's name alive and that's what she was alive of, that he was forgotten," she continued.

The plaque with charity QR codes dedicated to Annmarie Toland (handout)

"He certainly hasn't been forgotten and his memory was always be maintained now through this new tribute. We've been wanting to do this for a long time now but we wanted to do it right.

"Ann-Marie passed away in February 2020 after a short illness and the pandemic stopped us from being able to do this tribute sooner than we did."

READ NEXT:

To get the latest breaking news from Co Derry straight to your inbox, sign up to our free newsletter.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.