From the 8th to the 10th of May, the Leitrim Cycling Festival kicks off Bike Week 2026, returning for its 10th year in Cloone, Co Leitrim.The organisers said: More than a cycling event, the Leitrim Cycling Festival is a celebration of community, connection and creativity. This year marks its 10th year of working with communities across Leitrim to create a weekend of free festival activities for all ages.Rooted in a love of cycling, the festival creates space for joy, imagination and togetherness, while gently inviting people to reflect on how we move through the world. By combining local traditions, opportunities to explore on two wheels, wonderful silliness and good conversation, it allows us to imagine new ways of being in community and even new possibilities for the future, they said. The organisers said that the programme is packed with activities, including learning about the delicious boxty Cloone is famous for and exploring the beautiful trails and amenities Cloone Village has to offer.The cycling festival will include the annual slow bicycle, a leisurely cycle, film screenings, a child bikepowered disco, art workshops, storytelling sessions, shared meals, and music and social gatherings including a traditional music session, and a wellness morning with yoga and a sound bath. There will also be an opportunity to try accessible bikes, childrens balance bikes, and an obstacle course.For more information and to register for free, visit leitrimcyclingfestival.com.

Progress building cycle routes has slowed in Q1 of this year and now at least temporarily ground to a halt, a city councillor has highlighted. Cllr Feljin Jose (Green Party) raised the issue towards the end of Dublin City Councils monthly council meeting on Monday night. The Quarterly Report of the Active Travel Programme Office for Q1 2026 left Cllr Jose wondering about the councils level of progress.He said: Just to understand, is it true to say that theres not a single active travel scheme under construction in Dublin City at the moment? Theres not a single one under construction, not counting snagging issues on projects that were finished a few years ago?I dont in the Trinity to Ballsbridge project has actually started in April, correct me if Im wrong. And the Dodder Greenway, Ringsend Bridge to Londonbridge Road, is finished. So theres nothing under construction, Cllr Jose said.We have a program of works thats 214 kilometres thats supposed to be built by 2030. There was a program. There was an update published today, which said we did half a kilometre in the last quarter. [At that rate], were talking 2 to 3km, I think it was 10km last year or something like that, he said.He said: Im looking at the last active travel report in January, [covering] Q4 2025, and almost every single project has been delayed since.I keep going out to residents, and they ask me when this project is going to start construction. I tell them a date for six months later, [then] its not happening, its embarrassing. Its embarrassing telling residents that something is going to happen here year after year, said Cllr Jose.He added: In my own area, the Ratoath Road project was supposed to be a consultation in Q4 last year. Now, its gonna be sometime this year. There was one [a consultation] done three years ago, and we havent seen the report. Its embarrassing passing on updates for management, especially on active travel, and just nothing happens.The discussion was cut short, incomplete and deferred to the next meeting, so there was no response from officials as there usually would be during the meeting. IrishCycle.com contacted Dublin City Council for comment on Tuesday. On Friday, a spokesperson for Dublin City Council said: Dublin City Council has a plan to commence construction on 11 Schemes throughout the course of 2026. Dublin City Council is working to deliver on that programme, and the commencement of the schemes on this programme is phased through the year to align with available budgets.The spokesperson added: Where any of these scheduled starts experience delays, Dublin City Council will look to commence construction on other schemes on the Active Travel Network.The Quarterly Report of the Active Travel Programme Office includes an update on the project titled Ratoath Road and Cappagh Road (Cabra to Blanchardstown), a route from Cabra to Finglas, which will eventually run to the north east area of Dublin 15 via Finglas.The report said: During this quarter, the preliminary design of the section from Westwood to the Fingal County boundary was undertaken, and this is scheduled for completion this April. The preliminary design of the section from Cabra Cross to Westwood is complete. The overall scheme design will be submitted to the NTA for approval this April.Once the review is complete and approval received from the NTA, the updated designs and Public Consultation Report will be published. In addition, consideration will be given to phasing the implementation of the scheme. A Public Information Event will take place at this time and preparation for this event has commenced, it said.The report added: The project will deliver 4.3km of walking and cycling measures from the junction of Navan Road/ Cabra Road to New Cross College, Cappagh Road at the border with Fingal County Council.

Irish Rail has bought back the station house and grounds at Adares former train station for 2 million to accommodate a temporary station for the Ryder Cup, prompting a rail advocacy group to question spending public funds on a temporary platform rather than a longer-term solution. According to the Property Price Register, the station was sold for 2 million at the end of last year, after being sold in 2013 for just 216,121. The former station house was being used as a provate residents The train station is on the edge of the village and under 2km from Adare Manor in County Limerick, which is to host the 46th Ryder Cup from September 13th to 19th of 2027. A shuttle train service is planned to run from Limerick Junction to Adare, with passengers making their way to that station using normal services. IMAGE: Main image: A crop of a photo taken in 1965 from the ODea Photograph Collection held by the National Library of Ireland; Image above: A more recent image of the front of the station house (still from Irish Rail persintaion).Adare station is on the Limerick to Foynes railway line, which is being restored as a freight railway. It is expected that passenger services may also be restored on the line, but permanent works for this, including platforms and car parks, are currently not funded. But the company indicated today that the station could be used again in the future.Mark Gleeson, a spokesperson for Rail Users Ireland, a group that advocates for passengers, said: We remain concerned that fleet will be removed from service elsewhere to enable these services, and this is unacceptable to long-suffering commuters.We estimate that 14 intercity carriages would be needed. While fleet is available on weekends, Irish Rail today is routinely unable to operate trains at expected lengths during the week, he said. He added: While providing service for the Ryder Cup, it should not come with an impact on public service obligation services, and it is disappointing that such an amount of funding can be found for a 7-day once-off event, the platform is temporary and provides no long-term value.Irish Rail said that it is likely that the Ryder Cup special services will operate outside of regular timetable hours when existing trains are available.A spokesperson for Irish Rail said: As part of the reinstatement of the Limerick to Foynes Freight Line, Adare Station House and surrounding lands were purchased from project funds to enable completion of the current project and to facilitate any potential future Iarnrd ireann requirements at the location.The project is tasked with building a temporary station for rail services for the Ryder Cup in September 2027. At this time, there are no plans for a permanent passenger station at Adare, but the temporary station will not preclude the construction of a permanent station in the future should the decision be made to advance with such a development, the spokesperson said.Irish Rail said that the construction on the temporary station is due to commence very soon, with completion expected in late 2026/early 2027.A spokesperson for the State-owned railway company added: Provision of special services for large events is part of Iarnrd ireanns normal operations. Iarnrd ireann are working closely with the National Transport Authority on the overall delivery of a public transport plan for the Ryder Cup. It is likely that the Ryder Cup special services will operate outside of regular timetable hours and so will utilise existing fleet.IMAGE: A concept image of the temporary platform, which is to be built soon. Irish Rail said that it will comply with the normal accessibility and safety requirements of normal platforms.

Tipperary County Council have been requested tolook at the evidence after councillors voted to write to the Minister for Transport, Darragh OBrien, to call on him to make it illegal for pedestrians and people cycling or using scooters to wear high-vis.A local media outlet, tipperarylive.ie, reported that the motion was tabled by five Fine Gael councillors Phyll Bugler, Mary Hanna Hourigan, Tom Acheson, Mark Fitzgerald and Marie Murphy. The website said that they pointed to the extreme difficulty motorists have in seeing pedestrians and cyclists who dont wear this high visibility clothing, especially on narrow county roads and in towns.As reported by this website in February, the Department of Transport was considering making high-vis and helmets mandatory for all cyclists, butMinisters quickly U-turnedon the plan after a public backlash. But, as reported last month, mandatory gear is still being considered for e-bicycles, even those typically treated legally as bicycles.Cllr Bugler, who proposed the motion, focused on how hard it was to see people cycling and walking wearing dark clothing as night fell. While tipperarylive.ie, reported that Cllr Acheson, the motions seconder, claims they could see people walking on roads who were apparently unaware they are not visible to motorists.Cllr Bugler responded that she believed pedestrians should wear hi-vis vests at all times, the news website reported.But cycling campaigners said that Tipperary County Council should look at the evidence. The Irish Cycling Campaign, an umbrella group for most cycling campaigns, said: Irish Cycling Campaign strongly disagrees with making hi-vis wear mandatory by law.They said the move would risk Drawing resources and attention from the real source of risk: Poor, risky driving; upending decades of established risk-management practice; and putting yet another barrier in the way of healthy, safe, sustainable transport.The group said: As drivers, weve a responsibility to drive at a speed that allows us to see objects of ANY colour in our vehicles path. We call on Tipp Council to look at the evidence, have a think about the actual causes of road danger, and retract this silly motion.

A waste management company is using cargo bicycles to collect waste in the congested and confined streets of Dublin City Centre. KeyGreen, in a LinkedIn post, said: Since introducing our electric cargo bike service, weve been helping customers across 90 streets in Dublin 2 adapt to new waste regulations in a cleaner, more convenient way.With bin bags no longer permitted on specified streets across Dublins city centre, our service offers a simple alternative, combining access to self-serve locations with our reliable cargo bike collections, the company said.KeyGreen added: Our fully electric bike reduces emissions, eases congestion, and makes waste collection more efficient. A smarter, greener way to manage waste. Were Unlocking Greener Futures Together.A number of Tidy Towns and community clean-up groups around the country have also used cargo bikes to collect and transport waste, including Oranmore, Skerries, Clonsilla, Ballbriggan, Ballsbridge, and Blackrock in Louth.IMAGES: Above: KeyGreens cargo bike on Grafton Street (image: KeyGreen); and main image: KeyGreens bike in use on Mercer Street Lower (IrishCycle.com).

Dublin City Council has opened their latest short section of the much-delayed project to speed up the construction of the Dodder Greenway from Ringsend Bridge to Londonbridge Road, including along Fitzwilliam Quay.The new section is around 470 metres long, and nearly half of the section being opened is a 217m two-way cycle path ona quiet street. Because of the narrow width of the cycle path, which does not provide well for social cycling, the quiet street may even provide a higher quality of service than the new cycle path.The rest of the project includes a 180m cycle path to separate people walking and cycling, and a 70m section of existing quiet street, with a shared surface between people cycling and limited access for motorists.The construction of this section means theres now a 3km route between Ringsend Bridge and Anglesey Bridge, from Ringsend Road to Donnybrook Road/Stillorgan Road. While the route includes sections of narrow shared paths just south and north of Lansdowne Road, it is one of the largest continuous routes delivered by Dublin City Council in recent years.The section south of Donnybrook Road, on Beaver Row, was delayed after a backlash over a poor-quality design that would have included a narrow shared path alongside a carriageway that was partly one-way.IMAGES: From Dublin City Council. North of Ringsend Road, the original Dodder Greenway project included one walking and cycling bridge parallel to the Ringsend Bridge, ramping down to ground level northbound, and another bridge crossing the mouth of the Grand Canal at the Grand Canal Docks sign, which would link the Dodder to the Docklands and the Liffey and Grand and Royal Canals routes. This plan is on hold and is not being actively developed. As part of BusConnects, there is also a plan to build a bridge at the mouth of the River Dodder. Both routes into the Docklands are primary cycle routes in the Greater Dublin Area Cycle Network Plan. In a press release for the official opening, Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Ray McAdam, said: Last September, I was proud to open the Beattys Avenue to Herbert Park section of the Dodder Greenway. Today, we take another significant step forward with the opening of this next stretch along the River Dodder, a project that is quite literally transforming how Dublin moves.This is what delivery looks like. Safe, segregated, high-quality infrastructure that gives people the confidence to walk, wheel and cycle in their everyday lives. It is about opening up our city, connecting our communities, and making active travel a real, practical choice for more Dubliners, he said. Every section we complete brings us closer to a continuous greenway through the heart of our capital a greener, healthier, more connected Dublin for everyone. And like so many Dubliners, I am looking forward to getting out and experiencing it for myself.Christopher K Manzira, director of Dublin City Councils active travel office, said: The Fitzwilliam Quay to Londonbridge Road scheme demonstrates how we are working to provide safe, high-quality infrastructure that facilitates more people to take up active travel.We now have 1.5 kilometres of world-class active travel infrastructure along the River Dodder in Dublin city, enabling more people, including children, families, and older people, to experience the river by walking, wheeling or cycling alongside it, he said.He highlighted that the project included piloting red permeable paving on the cycle path sections of the scheme, as reported by this website last year.Manzira said: We look forward to continuing to develop the Dodder Greenway within Dublin City. We will soon be tendering for the Milltown Road to Dundrum Road section of the greenway, followed by the Donnybrook Road to Clonskeagh Road section later in the year.Sarah McDonagh, the National Transport Authoritys active travel programme manager who covers Dublin City, said: This new section of the Dodder Greenway is another important step in delivering a safer, more connected active travel network along the River Dodder. The latest Walking and Cycling Index for the Dublin Metropolitan Region shows that people increasingly want high-quality, physically protected infrastructure that helps them feel safe walking, wheeling and cycling for everyday journeys.She added: The NTA is proud to support Dublin City Council in delivering projects that make walking and cycling a natural and easy choice for people of all ages and abilities.

Comment & Analysis: There is not a fucking oil truck moving in this country until we get what we want because if we cant afford it, they cant fucking have it. We have the country by the balls, said one of the spokespeople for the protests last week.Whatever your view is on the fuel protests that gripped Ireland for the last week, the blockades of last week made it clear how vulnerable our oil addiction is and even if some people reading this dont believe in climate change that vulnerability is yet another reason to move away from our oil addiction.With the blocking of fuel terminals at Shannon Foynes Port, the Port of Galway, and Whitegate in Cork Harbour, the protesters really did have the country by the balls. From talking to people and reading comments from people with different views, I think most have underestimated the strength of the protesters grip on the country.Closer to the end of the week, Rosslare Europort was also blocked, although it is not a fuel depot, it would have cut off other supplies and exports. While much focus was on motorway blockages and the very high-profile occupation of OConnell Street, the port blockages were starting to have a greater impact on the country, bringing us to the brink of running out of fuel. This is not about whether you are for or against the protest or their cause. I spotted a number of people who were against the protests claiming that filling stations running out of fuel was down to just people panic buying. Panic buying never helps in these situations, but having a number of our main oil depots shut to supplying filling stations was the main issue. Those involved in the supply of fuel tried to warn about how critical the situation was. What comes across to me is the feeling that people on both sides might be underestimating how close we were to not just oil shortages, rather also the knock-on effect of that including, eventually, food shortages. While Ireland is a massive dairy and beef exporting country, we import a large percentage of fruit, vegetables, cereals, and processed food. We do not feed ourselves you dont have to trust the editor of a cycling and wider transport website on that, Im just echoing what has been said by many, including late last year by the chair of the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association. Im not saying we were going to run out of food straight away; we would have seen more fuel rationing and other effects first. And I say more rationing as rationing to some extent happened at the filling station level and was still in effect at least yesterday, if not today, in at least some areas affected by the shortages.Despite the blocked two fuel storage ports and Irelands only oil refinery, theres still a large chunk of the population seemingly unaware of how close the protesters were to shutting down the country. People still living where the fuel was still flowing were in denial that it was an issue because they were not affected yet. Thats the problem with being brought to the brink without fully hitting the wall.Our oil supply vulnerability this time was on the back of the US-Israelwar with Iran, but it is also a reminder of how vulnerable Ireland is to international events. This time it was protests, next time it could be further supply shortages internationally due to the war, terrorism, or possibly a wider war in Europe. We can only insulate ourselves from those events to a certain extent, but we should try to do so as much as possible.Anybody who can now comprehend how vulnerable our fuel supply is should be seeking a move away from it as fast as we can, including a mix of sustainable transport and electrification of cars and other vehicles.Just as with climate transition, there must be fairness. Mostly, wealthier people are getting grants for solar panels to heat their homes and power their electric cars. This is isolating them from the cost of fuel crises even more so than well-off people normally would be this increases the gap between people closer to the circles of power and the average person.The home retrofitting programmes are not reaching enough people, and grants for electric cars are not targeted at the people who most need them.The pattern of development in Ireland means that a chunk of the 30% of people in rural areas are locked into car dependency, along with many in poorly planned urban areas, which are harder to serve with public transport or cycling. Surely, people in those areas who need cars, especially those on lower incomes, should be the main targets for government subsidies for electric cars, while we also stop making the same planning mistakes over and over again?Meanwhile, theres a section of society that has been brainwashed into believing electrification is impossible for various reasons, including cost. The voices they are listening to are telling them all about climate hoax, while a large chunk of people making the switch are doing so because theyll be better off. Even without the misinformation floating around, theres maybe too much focus on changing for the greater good rather than for more selfish reasons. Meanwhile, online grifters tell people its a scam or repeat oil industry talking points rather than telling people that they should have access to these things too.Local authorities providing and promoting other transport options are also sold by many voices as a restriction on freedom, when its clearly the opposite, especially in large urban areas where mass car use has repeatedly been shown to be an unreliable means of transport on its own. Thats the world were living in, where safer streets and concepts such as 15-minute cities having most of your shops and servces close to where you live have been turned into conspiracy theories promputing advocites to come up with slogans such as no big conspiracy just lazy.The change we need, which will help climate action as well as energy and transport independence, requires leadership and vision, and the ability to deliver infrastructure all things we need a lot more of. Last week proved we needed such a change. Will our leaders double down on fossil fuels and make overly car-focused, poor planning mistakes over and over? Will they drag their heels while continuing to make baby steps? Or will they change with the urgency needed?

Two bicycles belonging to the bicycle-sharing company Lime were spotted abandoned on a Dublin street, but the company confirmed that the two werent part of a surprise rollout or testing.The bikes, spotted on a north inner-city street by a reader who shared the image above, were in a poor state of repair, with flat tyres likely the reason why they were abandoned. Shortly before this article was published, the company said it could not confirm whether the two bicycles were taken from Co Mayo, where their bikes are available to rent in Castelbar and Westport, or from the UK, where the company operates, such as the Greater Manchester area.A very long cycle, train, or ferry doesnt have the same ring to it as Planes, Trains and Automobiles, but for now, were left with wondering if the two bicycles were cycled all the way from Castlebar, if somebody flung them onto a van or train, or if they were brought over on the ferry from the UK. But the company, like other international operators, has made no secret of its desire to operate in Dublin. So it used the opportunity to joke that Dubliners must want to see its service in the city.Tom Newham, senior manager of public affairs at Lime, said: It looks like some Dubliners who tried the Lime bikes in other locations enjoyed them so much they decided to take them home.Unfortunately, as we dont currently operate here, they would have been disappointed to find the bikes do not work. That said, we would love to bring Lime to Irelands capital city, and were flattered it appears Dubliners feel the same, he said.He added: Our operations team will be collecting these bikes and moving them back to their correct location. As they are outside their designated area, these bikes are currently out of service and will not work in Dublin.

Picture: Hucare Factory Team at a pre-season training camp in Tenerife. (Photo Credit: Hucare Factory Team).Cairde Rs Tailteann is delighted to announce one of our visiting teams for the 2026 event: Hucare Factory Team from Germany.Racing under a new name for 2026, the team returns to Rs Tailteann after making its debut in the race last year and will be aiming to build on that experience with a strong performance on Irish roads.Hucare Factory Team comes into the 2026 edition with a solid block of early-season racing already behind them. In March, the team competed in the Tour of Antalya 2.2 in Turkey, where they recorded three top 16 stage results. Prior to that, the squad completed a training camp in Tenerife, giving the riders the opportunity to prepare in excellent conditions ahead of a busy spring campaign.The teams build-up to Rs Tailteann will also include several major German one-day races, along with a UCI 2.2 event in Benin, giving the squad a strong programme in the lead-in to this years race.Among the riders to watch will be Luca Harter, regarded as one of Germanys leading performers. A strong sprinter and cyclocross specialist, Harter has built up an impressive list of results. Maximilian Weber is another rider expected to feature prominently, with the young German seen as one of the teams most promising talents. Moritz Czasa also returns to the race, having raced in Ireland last year and gained valuable experience of the challenges Rs Tailteann presents.Dominik Merseburg from Hucare Factory Team said: We are delighted to return to Rs Tailteann in 2026 after making our debut last year. We have had a strong period of preparation and we hope to arrive in Ireland in good shape. We enjoyed the race very much last year and we are looking forward to returning to compete again this May.Race Director Ger Campbell added: We are very pleased to welcome Hucare Factory Team back to Rs Tailteann for 2026. They made a positive impression on their debut in the race last year, and it is always encouraging to see teams return with more experience and ambition. We look forward to seeing what they can do on Irish roads this May.

Dublin councillors have agreed to support a motion seeking to allow only trucks with direct vision in Dublin City Centre. After a senior official said that there would be limitations with the idea, the issue will be referred to the councils mobility committee.The motion follows the death of 27-year-old Johnny Santos Xavier De Abreu, who was killed on April 1st after only three weeks in the country. The Brazilian student was cycling an electric bike at the corner of Middle Abbey Street and OConnell Street when a driver of a cement mixer was turning left.A disproportionatelylarge number of fatal left-hook turns involve trucks, and with that in mind, the direct vision standard aims to eliminate such collisions by adding improved mirrors, cameras, and, sometimes, glass in the lower part of truck doors. The screens for cameras with wider or lower views are placed in the line of sight of the passenger-side mirrors, and alert systems are also sometimes used.But a senior council official pointed out that the motion would only cover longer trucks. He said the council wants to make sure that the trucks that are using our city are as safe as possible, but that the suggestion, as written in the motion, would only affect a small proportion of trucks. A high number of collisions involving drivers of trucks turning left and people on bicycles in recent years has been with trucks with four or fewer axles, such as dumper trucks, bin trucks, and cement mixers.Cllr Ray Cunningham (Green Party), who proposed the motion, said: The most dangerous vehicles on our streets are heavy goods vehicles often drivers of these vehicles cannot see the pedestrians and cyclists around them.He pointed to other cities around, such as London, which have required the direct vision safety standards for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) with a start rating. Since October 2024, vehicles with three or more stars for visibility automatically receive permission once a permit is applied for, but other vehicles must be retrofitted with improved mirrors and cameras to obtain a permit to enter most of Greater London. In Dublin City, we already require permits for HGVs to drive in the core city and in other parts of the city. So we can roll this star rating into that permitting system immediately. What Im proposing is that, from 2027, we require every vehicle to have at least a one-star rating, from 2028 a two-star rating and so on, said Cllr Cunningham.He said it would have an effect throughout the city, as companies that own HGVs would switch to trucks capable of delivering to the city centre, which would also cover wider routes.Cllr Janet Horner (Green Party) said: The reason I pushed this a few years ago, as I said at the time, was a friend of mine was knocked down on the quays by a truck when it went to court, the driver was found not to be a fault because the driver could not see her on a bicycle immediately within the turning zone of that vehicle. She suffers lifelong injuries as a result and will never be able to fully walk without pain again.For a driver, there is no capability. The culpability is in the design, and unless we design out the flaw, other people will lose not just their lives, but also they will suffer lifelong consequences. It is urgent that we deal with it, she said.In a statement today, Cllr Horner said that, with the collision on Bachelors Walk, her friends road positioning was correct and legal, but the driver still couldnt see her. She said: The fault was not with the driver, not with the cyclist, but with the design.She called on the Minister for Transport to act on the issue. At the council meeting last night, Cllr Horner added: I hope that this week, when we see someone losing their lives in the streets again, we will not be found wanting when it comes to the opportunity to actually improve safety for everybody.Brendan OBrien, head of the councils transport department, said he welcomed the motion, but said that using the permit system for larger HGVs to drive into the city centre would limit the direct vision requirement to 5-axle trucks, and only in little more than the city centre, compared to the London system that applies to most of Greater London.He said the council wants to make sure that the trucks that are using our city are as safe as possible, but that the suggestion, as written in the motion, would only affect a small proportion of trucks. OBrien is suggesting referring the issue to the councils mobility committee to look at options.OBrien also suggested that we could look at EU standards. The EUs General Safety Regulationrequires direct vision measures for trucks sold after 2024, but additional regulations, such as those put in place in London, would be needed to ban non-compliant trucks from certain areas.Similar to the issue of extending the 5-axle permit system to 4-axle trucks, the council relies on the national Government to bring in regulations that it can then use. Cllr Feljin Jose (Green Party) asked that the council also write to the Minister for Transport to look at improving legal provisions that the councils can use to implement a permit system, which the Lord Mayor, CllrRayMcAdam (Fine Gael), said he would do.On the day when Johnny Santos Xavier De Abreu died, the Lord Mayor said: My thoughts are with all those involved and with the emergency services at the scene.We must continue to do all we can to improve road safety across Dublin. Our city belongs to everyone, and we all need to look out for one another.A letter from his sister, Isabela, was posted on social media. She said [translated]: April 1, 2026, was the day of the worst nightmare for our family. I write this letter with tears in my eyes. Brother, you couldnt imagine how much you were loved. Your departure left a huge hole in our hearts. Our family is in mourning.Mom is completely distraught by your departure. You know how much you were always Moms baby. Dad is also very shaken. Grandma Isabel is devastated. You were so loved by all of us, my brother. I ask God to receive you with open arms. I will always love you from here to eternity, she wrote.She added: Thank you for everything you did for our family and me, especially for Liz. Today, you are no longer here on this earth, but I know that, from above, you are watching over all of us. We love you very much. Your time here on Earth was beautiful. Rest beside the Lord and continue to watch over us. My little star, my guardian angel. With love, your sister, Isabela.