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Alzheimer’s Tea Day makes a comeback

Dáithí Ó Sé and Sinead Kennedy invite Kerry to the Great Tea Day Comeback on May 5th
RTÉ stars Dáithí Ó Sé and Sinead Kennedy are calling on Kerry to host a Tea Day to mark Alzheimer’s Tea Day Comeback on Thursday, May 5.
After two long years, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (The ASI) is inviting everyone to come together again for a cup of tea, a chat and maybe a treat or two to help raise funds for vital dementia supports and services.
The ASI is asking the people of Kerry to get involved with local Tea Day events in their homes, gardens, workplaces, schools, local community centres or somewhere special.
The traditional Alzheimer’s Tea Day was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19, and the event had to be moved online.
But now, Alzheimer’s Tea Day, The ASI’s biggest and most important fundraiser, is back.
For the first time in three years, after so much time in isolation, with many feeling lonely and alone, The ASI wants people to host their very own Tea Day and help Tea Day make a comeback!
The ASI aims to raise vital funds to provide supports and services to help families living with dementia nationwide.
There are an estimated 2,429 people living with dementia in Kerry and each year more than 11,000 people develop the disease across the country – that’s at least 30 people every day. However, there is one thing you can do to help – you can put the kettle on and host your very own Tea Day!
How to help
Register on teaday.ie and you'll be sent an Organiser’s Toolkit which includes posters, collection boxes, raffle tickets, and everything you need to make your Tea Day a success! Next, share a cuppaa and a few stories at home, in the garden, at work or in the community. You can host Tea Day however, and wherever, you like!
Share your Tea Day event on social media. Post your photos and videos and don’t forget to use the hashtags #TeaDay2022 #TogetherForTea
By supporting Tea Day, you can make an incredible difference as €10 provides an hour at an Alzheimer’s cafe for a person with dementia, €35 provides one hour of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy, €70 provides a session of Musical Therapy and €150 runs a social club for one day.
“I’m delighted to support Alzheimer’s Tea Day again this year," The Alzheimer Society of Ireland Ambassador, Dáithí Ó Sé, said.
"It’s been three years since we’ve been able to gather for a proper Tea Day get-together. So, let’s make up for lost time, lost connection, and lost funds and come together to make 2022 the Great Tea Day Comeback Year! On Thursday, May 5 we want everyone to have a chat, a laugh, a brew and donate a few Euro to The Alzheimer Society of Ireland’s Tea Day campaign to help provide essential dementia-specific services for the 64,000 people living with dementia in Ireland."
News
Ireland’s oldest citizen has Killarney connections
Ireland’s oldest woman met with President Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin this week. Máirín Hughes, who turned 109 on May 22 has strong Killarney connections. The previous record […]

Ireland’s oldest woman met with President Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin this week.
Máirín Hughes, who turned 109 on May 22 has strong Killarney connections.
The previous record was held by 107-year-old Nancy Stewart who died on September 10 2021.
Although born in Belfast, Máirín went to school in the Mercy Convent. Her father was a customs and excise officer and the family moved around a lot eventually coming to Killarney after spells in County Down and Dublin.
Her mother came from the Rathmore area and her father was from Newmarket in County Cork.
She attended the Mercy Convent and has, in previous interviews, recalled growing up on the shores of Lough Lein.
“Neighbours who had three children were given the job of taking me to school,” she said. “They were annoyed because the children were going to school for two or three years but I was put in to the same class as them – my mother had taught me.”
In 2021 she featured in the book ‘Independence Memories: A People’s Portrait of the Early Days of the Irish Nation’, sharing stories of being kept in school in Killarney during an attack on the RIC barracks down the road.
In 1924 she started a degree in science and a diploma in education at University College Cork, before working in the pathology lab in University College Cork’s Department of Medicine for 16 years.
last year she recalled her story on the podcast: ‘Living History – Irish Life and Lore’.
During the broadcast she talked about her parents’ membership of the Gaelic League in 1910; the Spanish Flu in Ireland in 1918; The Black and Tans in Killarney in 1921; the early days of the new Free State; Eucharistic Congress in Dublin in 1932, visiting the Basket Islands in 1929; and working in the UCC medical laboratory from 1932 until 1948.
This week President Michael D. Higgins hosted an afternoon tea event to celebrate the important role that a variety of people have and can play in different communities and Máirín was among the guests of honour.
News
Philip is running over 100kms for Cancer charity
Local runner and charity fundraiser Philip Kissane is set for the biggest challenge of his career as he lines up for the Cork City Marathon on Sunday. Phillip has already […]

Local runner and charity fundraiser Philip Kissane is set for the biggest challenge of his career as he lines up for the Cork City Marathon on Sunday.
Phillip has already completed four half marathons at various locations around Killarney – all in aid of Kerry Cancer Support Group – or the Cancer Bus as it popularly called.
This is the second time that Phillip has run four half marathon and an official race for the charity.
Back in 2021 he finished with 5km Run Killarney event but his finishing race this time around is over eight times the distance at 42kms.
“We are delighted with Philip’s continued fundraising support but also with his awareness raising for the charity,” Breda Dyland, Service Manager Kerry Cancer Support Trust.
“We are getting busier all the time and still get no statutory funding so are dependent on fundraisers like Philip’s to keep us on the road. We have just put our new wheelchair accessible bus on the Cork route so Philip’s funding will be going towards the operation of this vehicle.”