Memories of a Castlebar warrior

Edwin McGreal

The Patterson twins were a crucial part of the Davitt College side which made it all the way to the All-Ireland C Ladies Football Final in Longford last March.

Belinda played at right-half back and her twin sister Melissa played across the wing at number seven.

On that day Davitt College were to be denied the glory they longed after and afterwards they spoke about the bond they had formed and of the need to stay together, to stay close, into the future.

Little did they think they would need that solidarity so soon, after such a tragic, unforeseen event as the death of Melissa Patterson after a road accident last Thursday.

“I thought each and every one of those mighty warriors would last forever … I was wrong. Soon we will carry our warrior to the edge of town and lay her down to rest,” recalled the team’s manager, Michael Gallagher, in his evocative eulogy at the end of Melissa’s funeral Mass yesterday.

In a long and wonderful tribute to Melissa, Michael Gallagher spoke of ‘the lovely, beautiful, tough, caring girl’ and recalled her younger years when Melissa and Belinda Patterson first started playing football with Castlebar Mitchels. They would excel at football for the Mitchels and Davitt College and at soccer for Castlebar Town, located right across the road from their home at Hollow Grove on the outskirts of the town.

“People everywhere were hearing about the little blonde twins who ran like the wind … They brought life and verve and energy with them everywhere they went,” he explained.

The Patterson twins were renowned especially for their courage and leadership.

“Time after time we shook our heads and wondered how two girls so small and dainty could carry us all on their backs,” said Michael.

He said Melissa was ‘the heartbeat’ of the Davitt College team but talked also about Melissa’s life away from football, as one of his daughter’s friends.

“Melissa lived a life without fuss. She never looked too far ahead and lived like there was no tomorrow. Melissa was made for the craic. She loved going out, she loved dancing and she loved her friends,” he said.

He added, to much laughter, that Melissa ‘hated’ school but ‘loved being one of the Davitt College family’.

Michael Gallagher spoke of hearing the news last Thursday that Melissa had been in an accident. He was thinking the worse case scenario would be she would miss the Debs until it became apparent exactly how serious her condition was and friends and teammates gathered round.

“We’d often been in hopeless situations on the pitch and she had pulled us through and that’s what was going to happen again. We wrapped ourselves in a circle in the car park in the hospital, held hands and prayed together.

“We told God that we needed Melissa. That we couldn’t go on without her. That we had many more adventures awaiting us all. He knew better though.

“Gradually the final whistle came into view and one by one we all went into our warrior and bade farewell,” he said, emotion clear in his voice.

He told the congregation of the need to ‘stand’ with Melissa’s mother Carmel, twin Belinda, sister Samantha, brother Eamonn, boyfriend Gary and family.

“We will stand with them forever more. There is no other choice because that is the promise we make to each other.”

He urged people to pay tribute to Melissa by making every day count.

“Melissa Patterson lived life to the fullest. She laughed and loved. She danced and sang. She swung her hair and smiled. She made every day count. Take that with you today as a tribute to her. Live. Live.

“We were blessed. We were honoured to know the toughest of them all,” he concluded.