An inspirational woman has created a 'Field of Hope' to remember her family members who tragically lost their lives two years ago this month.
Geraldine Mullan lost her husband John, her 14-year-old son Tomás and her 6-year-old daughter Amelia after their car plunged into Lough Foyle during a stormy evening.
Two years on from the accident, Geraldine has created a 'Field of Hope' to allow the memories and positivity of her family live on.
Situated across from where the Mullan family car submerged into Lough Foyle, and where a memorial now stands, lies a field of vibrant colour and sunflowers, with HOPE inscribed in a maze.
To mark the second anniversary of the passing of Geraldine Mullan's loved ones on August 20, the Field of Hope will be open to the public from Friday 19 until Sunday 21 August from 12:00pm to 5:00pm.
Chairperson of the Mullan Hope Centre, Geraldine Mullan, said: "'Plant a seed and see what grows' my John always used to say. For many years his garden centre offered rich evidence of those sage words. What started as a conversation with John’s refrain in mind has led to an unusual transformation of Donegal coastal farmland."
Local farmer John McCarron normally uses the field for barley, but this year Geraldine Mullan and Catherine Carlin convinced him to instead reach for sunflower seeds.
Geraldine said: "Bordered by a mixture of wildflowers, from poppies to calendula, from cornflowers to daisies, this little slice of radiant nature is now a colourful forecourt to the water beyond. Just a few hundred metres from where that same water claimed my beautiful family, these majestic and eye catching sunflowers are intended to bring hope.
"To the locals of Inishowen, to our Ukrainian refugees as the sunflower is their national flower, to the many visitors that make their way to this beautiful part of Ireland and to those watching on from afar, gaze upon this fine work of nature and take a little something from it."
As well as the beauty of the sunflowers and wildflowers inhabiting the field, words of hope have also created a maze within the field for visitors to walk through.
Geraldine said: "My motto has been 'never lose hope' so when we thought up this project and named it accordingly, we wondered could we go a step further and have it physically expressed by the landscape. The idea became a reality when a maze was painstakingly carved out within the crop in the shape of those HOPE letters. Not only can one stand and admire the view but they can also take their own little journey through the field.
"The Field of Hope will be open to the public on Friday 19, Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 August from 12:00PM until 5:00PM. Park up safe and sensibly. Drop in for a look and a leisurely ramble through the rustic maze. Talk to other visitors. Talk to loved ones who have gone ahead. Take a sunflower home and help spread the idea of hope and to 'cherish every moment'."
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