Remembering Jarlath
The MNC community lost a great friend and passionate skier on January 6 with the passing of Jarlath O’Neil-Dunne. Jarlath had driven up to Craftsbury in the morning with his buddy Steve Crafts, meeting up with Owen Lenz to ski together. On one of their trips around the loops, Jarlath collapsed, likely due to a cardiac event, at the Coaches Corner intersection. Several of his MNC teammates and others were soon on the scene, doing all they could to help. Despite the valiant efforts of his fellow skiers, Craftsbury Outdoor Center staff, Hardwick Rescue, and the doctors and nurses of Copley Hospital, Jarlath did not survive.
The sudden loss of our friend was all-the-more difficult to fathom because of his remarkable vitality. Jarlath stood out for his intellect, humor, and physical vigor. He was one of those people in whom the flame of life burned very bright. Jarlath and Julie shared many years together and devotion to raising their three children, Ailsa, Gus, and Maeve. He will also be greatly missed by his beloved family: mother Mairi, sister Iona Munjal, and brothers Aengus and St. John.
In his professional life, Jarlath directed the University of Vermont’s Spatial Analysis Laboratory in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. Among many other projects, the innovative unit has played a key role in recent years assessing Vermont flood damage to aid in recovery efforts. A veteran of the United States Marines who served in Iraq, Jarlath was also an advocate, role model, and wise older brother as faculty advisor to the university’s student veterans’ organization.
Jarlath’s ever-enthusiastic Facebook posts offer a glimpse into the things he cared about, the places he found joy. There he is before sunrise at the UVM track, ready for another round of feats of strength and endurance with his “Boy Band” circle of workout pals; there he is with Maeve, both pretty in pink, as they head to the movies for “Barbie”; there he is “sharing my love of lycra with Gus on a 51-mile gravel ride”; there he is with Ailsa for a father-daughter Craftsbury Marathon last year; there he is goofing around at an annual reunion with his family and friends from the University of New Hampshire crew team; there he is playing “lead cowbell,” wearing a heavy-metal wig, and displaying impressive hip flexibility as a member of “Sciatica,” the band he and Steve Crafts convened each May to amuse runners in the Vermont City Marathon as they passed through the New North End.
And there he is in a 14-second video clip on January 22, 2023, powering the V1 up and away on a freshly groomed trail, thickly frosted firs in the woods, nothing but the sound of skis on snow. His caption: “Thank you, Vermont.” That image of him and his gratitude in that moment feels like an apt way to remember our teammate and friend Jarlath.
Submitted by: Thomas Weaver
