Champion of Diaspora relations remembered

On a recent trip to Würzburg and Kürnach to commemorate the feast day of Cavan’s famed 7th century missionary Saint Kilian, Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council Cllr John Paul Feeley and Cllr Shane P O’Reilly, Vice-Chair of Ballyjamesduff Municipal District, visited the grave of the late Christine Demel, who sadly passed away in June of this year.

Christine was one of the major driving forces in the development of civic relations between County Cavan and Kürnach, and visited Cavan on a number of occasions, as well as welcoming visitors from Cavan to Franconia.

Cathaoirleach, Cllr John Paul Feeley said “It was a great honour to visit Christine Demel’s grave during our trip to Germany. The intrepid St Kilian is the inspiration for this international friendship, but without the efforts of dedicated citizens like Christine, these vital relationships would inevitably fall by the wayside. On behalf of the people of Cavan, I offer my sincere sympathies to her family, many friends, and the people of Kürnach. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam dílis”.

Cllr O’Reilly said, “As a native of Mullagh, I had the privilege of meeting Christine on many occasions, in both Cavan and Germany. A much-loved schoolteacher in Kürnach, the town with which Cavan has a Friendship Pact, she originally hailed from what is now Czechia and was the epitome of the European project. She was a massive supporter of the friendship between Cavan and Germany and will be missed by many both in Cavan and her hometown, Kürnach. May she rest in peace.”