Athlone café to hold coffee morning in memory of beloved colleague

Irina Maslova was "full of life... a really bubbly person," said Louise Cassidy of Athlone's Harvest Café.

"Everyone who met Irina loved her. She was an amazing person, and because the café is in the town centre, she met a lot of people.

"You wouldn't be able to walk by the place without her seeing you and pulling you in for a chat! The customers all loved her," said Louise.

Irina was a member of staff with the Hodson Bay Group for 19 years, working at the Harvest Café for the majority of that time. She managed the café in the years prior to her untimely death, from cervical cancer, in October 2020.

Originally from the Latvian capital of Riga, Irina received "absolutely brilliant" care at the South Westmeath Hospice in her final days.

Work colleagues of the 40-year-old organised a coffee morning for the Hospice shortly before her passing in 2020.

This has now become an annual event, with the next coffee morning in memory of Irina Maslova taking place on Thursday, September 22, as part of the Bewley's Big Coffee Morning Social for Hospice.

Louise Cassidy, the assistant manager at the Harvest Café, said, "When Irina was diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer, we were all devastated and weren't sure how to show her how much everyone thought of her.

"So all 30 staff decided to get everyone together and hold a coffee morning for the South Westmeath Hospice which helped her and her family so much.

"Unfortunately, she passed away just days after the event in October 2020, leaving her teenage daughter and fiancé behind.

"Everyone still talks about her, and we decided we would continue the annual event in her memory and help the Hospice continue to give their valuable services to those in need of respite and end-of-life care."

This year's coffee morning at the Harvest on September 22 will get underway from 10am and will continue throughout the day.

Louise said he she hoped it would bring the community together "to chat, catch up, enjoy memories and keep the memory alive of Irina, our close friend and indeed the heart of the Harvest Homemade Café."

Louise, her colleague Annette Murphy, and Joe Whelan of the South Westmeath Hospice Committee, travelled to Dublin last month for the launch by actor Brendan Gleeson of the Bewley's Big Coffee Morning Social for Hospice.

The national event is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and so far it raised over €41.5 million.

Brendan Gleeson, whose latest film, The Banshees of Inisherin, is due out in October, spoke about his personal connection with hospice services, as his late parents were cared for in St Francis' Hospice in Dublin.

He said hospice patients are "so well looked after, allowing them to live as full and independent lives as possible, for as long as possible.

"It takes great courage for patients and families to avail of hospice services to ensure that their loved ones' needs are met at this important time in their lives. In my experience, hospice care is life affirming and enriching," he said.

Joe Whelan of the South Westmeath Hospice Committee said events such as the Bewley's Big Coffee Morning Social made an important contribution to maintaining these services.

"The funds raised each year by the Irish public ensure we continue to provide vital support to individual patients and their families every day," he said.

People can register to host a coffee morning social in support of their local hospice at www.hospicecoffeemorning.ie or by calling 0818 995 996.