GAA star Nollaig Cleary shares memories of her special family visits to the Phoenix Park.

A WEST Cork family can claim a close connection to Áras an Uachtaráin, in particular Sabina Higgins, who has on many occasions made them feel welcome at the president’s residence in the Phoenix Park.

Nollaig Cleary, from Castlehaven, who was part of the Cork Ladies Football team that won the All-Ireland Ladies Football Final in 2012, outlined the closeness of the connection.

She said Sabina Higgins, wife of the two-term President Michael D Higgins, recently invited all of her relatives to the Áras for her birthday celebrations in September, and before that there was a very special Christmas party for all of the family.

Nollaig explained that her father, the late Ned Cleary, and Sabina Higgins (née Coyne) were first cousins and grew up with just a few fields separating them on the family’s holdings.

As it happened, her late father’s house was in Ballindine, County Mayo, while a couple of fields down the road was Sabina’s house in Cloonrane, County Galway.

Their mothers were sisters: Sabina’s mother Mary, and Ned’s mother Ellie were very close because they were the only two girls in the Kilkenny family.

MR (LtoR) Kathleen Cleary, Nollaig Cleary President Higgins' Secretary Kevin McCarthy (West Cork), Sabina Coyne, Ned Cleary and Órla Cleary

Although there was an age gap of about 10-years between them, the first cousins were close and both families got on very well and attended lots of family events together.

At her recent birthday party, Nollaig said Sabina, who went on to become an actress and political activist, recalled how very close she was to Ellie and the fact that there was a great love of books in her home.

As an extended family unit, they shared a newspaper and Sabina would cut across the field to deliver the headlines and news stories with her great theatrical flair.

‘Sabina has not forgotten where she came from and, to this day, family is really important to her,’ said Nollaig. It shows in the invitations to the Áras​, and giving the president the heads up when her relatives are in the line-up at an All-Ireland final.

‘There was always a lovely connection through sport over the years,’ said Nollaig, who was not the only member of the family to meet the president on the pitch in Croke Park.

​Nollaig’s nephews Damien and Conor Cahalane got to meet Michael D when they lined out for an All-Ireland hurling final.

Nollaig’s niece Méabh Cahalane, who captained the Cork camogie team in an All-Ireland final, got to lead President Higgins down the red carpet, and the fact that Órlaith Cahalane, her sister, was on that team made it all the more special.

‘Sabina would always ring to make sure he got the right relative and we’d meet them at the final or afterwards,’ said Nollaig.

Sabina Coyne meets her cousin Damien Cahalane in Croke Park

Years ago, Ned joined the gardaí and came south, while Sabina started out her career by joining the civil service. Despite the geographical distance between them they continued to meet over the years, especially at weddings.

Nollaig said Sabina came, as a 21-year-old, to Timoleague to see Ned and Kathleen get married in 1962.

‘My parents attended their wedding; and, in 2013, Sabina and President Higgins attended my wedding to Micheál Ó Cróinín in the same church in Timoleague.

‘There was always that connection even when Michael was running for president, and Sabina invited the family up to the Áras for the president’s inauguration in 2011 and again in 2018.

‘All of our visits over the years have been very special and no matter how many times you go there it’s always amazing. You never took being there for granted,’ she added.

‘Sabina’s upbringing means she knows how to   make people feel at home. She’d say: “The house belongs to the people of Ireland” and she’d make you feel very welcome.

‘One of the most special visits​, for me​, was in 2012 when she invited the whole team up to the Áras on St Brigid’s day. She insisted that all of our parents come because our parents had played such an important role in getting us to where we were. It was such a special day and the memory of it is something I will always treasure.’

‘Some occasions might be a bit more formal than others, but gatherings, like the last Christmas party, meant there was a huge crowd of Clearys.

‘When you consider that I am one of eight you get the idea,’ said Nollaig. ‘All the partners and children were invited too so there was a huge crew from Cork alone.

‘That occasion was perhaps the least formal and at that event Sabina encouraged everyone to sing a song, recite a poem, or do a dance. She is, always has been, a real people person and loves seeing people enjoying themselves,’ said Nollaig.

Given that the election of a new president is just days away, the West Cork primary school teacher easily laughed off and dismissed any notions of such political ambitions for herself.

‘Hilarious!’ she said. ‘Absolutely no way! That’s way too much like hard work. I much prefer to be part of a team. It would be way out of my comfort zone.’