The late Sister Brendan The Irish community across in Britain was mourning after the tragic death of Limerick born nun Sister Mary Brendan Lynch. The 74-year-old died as she arrived at the popular St Francis Centre in the Handsworth area of Birmingham for a New Year ceili. It is believed that she stumbled and fell as she was about to enter the centre. She rushed to Birmingham's City Hospital but died as a result of her injuries despite desperate attempts to save her life. A minute's silence and prayers were observed in her memory when news reached the St Francis centre later that night. Sister Brendan was intensely proud of her Limerick roots and devoted to everything related to Irish sport, music, song and dance. She was a member of the Sisters of Mercy at their convent in Penfields in Wolverhampton - having been based there for the past 13 years. During her 54 years as a nun Sister Brendan also worked in Dundee, Bodmin in Cornwall and London. She was renowned for being always on call to visit the sick and infirm in hospitals and care homes in Wolverhampton and was a regular visitor to Bransford Young Offenders Institution near Wolverhampton where she offered help and advice to inmates. She was also adopted as the official team mascot by Wolverhampton-based St. Mary's GAA Club. It was here she became famous for following the team home and away and producing a small bottle of Holy Water before each game sprinkling it over all the players. Sister Brendan was also a regular member of Wolverhampton's popular Emerald Club. Galway-born club chairman Andy Curran said: "We are all in shock. "Only the night before her tragic death she was in the club and before Christmas she was also here handing out cards to everybody. "Sister Brendan also celebrated her 50th anniversary as a nun here a few years ago with a huge party attended by friends from all over this country and Ireland. "It was the only time we saw her crying as her great friend and fellow Limerick-person Larry McAuliffe from Warwickshire GAA county board sang several of her favourite songs from the stage. "She was a unique person - loved by everybody." Courtesy of Irish Post 7 January 2006 Tweet

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