WITH the passing of Colm Costello, his family and enormous circle of friends have lost a great and much-loved character whose battle brought out true community spirt and friendship.

Colm, the eldest of Paul and Mary Costello’s four children, had a rare autoimmune disorder, although it never affected him growing up in Aughnasheelin where he played GAA sports and developed a love of horses, inherited from his grandfather Eddie Dolan.

He was a familiar sight at shows and fairs, typically in the company of his good friends Damien Gill and Pauric Rourke, which led to Colm and Pauric being dubbed ‘Podge and Rodge’, when the pair often disappeared on Connemara pony-buying sessions. His best-known pony was the distinctive dun stallion Killaneen Boy, later sold by Colm to Lucinda Kelly.

After a visit to his aunt Caroline in New York, Colm felt unwell and dismissed it as jetlag. However, it progressed to severe headaches and seizures which led to Colm being hospitalised in St Vincents Hospital on August 4th, 2016.

Colm had undergone a liver transplant back in 2007 and each year since, would organise a thanksgiving Mass for this “selfless donor” as described by his family. The transplant was not in any form connected though to his autoimmune disorder and for 333 days the St Vincents neurology team worked tirelessly trying various treatments to combat its onslaught.

It was at this time that the Connemara pony community showed its best colours, organising and contributing to a major fund-raising event for Colm’s recovery in February 2017. Sadly, in early July last year, his family were told that there was no hope of recovery and Colm was transferred to St Monica’s ward in the High Dependency Unit, where he continued to remain in an induced coma.

The care Colm received from his nurses and carers, led by Lynda Power and Riona O’Hanlon also showed Ireland’s frontline team at their finest. His family are also deeply indebted to Dr Justin Kinsella and his team of doctors, who became personal friends of Paul and Mary Costello. For two years the Leitrim couple, their son Liam and daughter Emma’s lives were on hold as St Monica’s ward became their alternative home.

They were never alone as family and friends streamed in, including psychic healer Finbar Ward. Then there was his loyal friend Roisin Curran, who now lives in Vancouver but Facetimed on a daily basis to chat to Colm.

Colm’s 30th birthday was June 25th and just a week later on July 2nd, he passed away. To his family, the date is no coincidence as it marked the 25th anniversary of having lost Colm’s baby brother, Mark.

Again, true community spirit was out in force as marquees for catering and carparks were set up for Colm’s funeral, with the St Vincent’s team gathered too in numbers. Amongst those who brought up gifts to the Altar during his funeral Mass were Roisín and Katie Gill. Roisín, together with Riona Costello, were Colm’s adored godchildren.

“He was so super-proud to be Roisín’s godfather,” said her mother Leisa Murphy, recalling the day she and partner Damien Gill asked him and how the teetotal Colm promised to be the ‘cool godfather’, the one that would pick the girls up from discos when they grew up.

Sadly, that won’t happen but Leisa’s words as she paid her own tribute on social media to Colm summed up a legacy to honour him: “Don’t waste time arguing on trivial matters, go out, make friendships like we had with Colm and make memories that you can cherish a lifetime.”

SF