A revival of Castlemaine Fair Day will take place tomorrow (Sunday) in memory of the late John O’Donoghue with proceeds going to charity.

The location of the Sheep Fair will be in Griffin's Car Park and it will get underway from 10am.

The event and its proceeds, organised by Castlemaine Events Committee, will be in aid of Kerry Hospice whilst there will also be an auction on the day where the donation of animals is welcome.

Funds raised from the auction will go towards The Palliative Care Unit at University Hospital Kerry (UHK) who provide exemplary care and attention to their patients. A raffle with some wonderful spot prizes will be on offer courtesy of sponsorship, and bucket collections will also be in operation throughout the event.

John O’Donoghue who was known all over, resided in the heart of Castlemaine village. He was born on January 21, 1965 which ironically happened to coincide with a staging of the old Castlemaine Fair Day so it felt appropriate to mark John’s lifetime love of attending fairs and being an integral part of the farming community by bringing back the old fair day in his honour and with it celebrate old traditions, customs and beliefs in the locality.

“The fair day was an annual event in Castlemaine but it died out in the '90s," John’s daughter, Cathy, said.

"John was known by many particularly for his work ethic, humour and honesty. When people mention any dealings they had with him, it is always with a smile on their face and they will all tell you that it was always a good deal they had with him. John loved to attend the fair days throughout the county and was well known as the custom of attending the fairs was passed onto John from his father Denis. Attending the fairs was not only enjoyable but also important to my father as he liked to keep up traditions. You would always be sure to get a bit of traditional luck back in the form of change from my father too with a deal."

She added that both she and his good friend Pat O'Keeffe felt a fair day was a lovely way to celebrate John’s life whilst also raising money for Kerry Hospice due to his passion for farming.

It was a huge shock to John, his family and friends when he was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer in May 2019. His life was cut short as seven months after that he died in the Palliative Care Unit on January 13 2020.

"Almost everyone has been affected by cancer in some way or another and are familiar with the Kerry Hospice in UHK. The care and support provided from the palliative care team was so amazing that it feels very right to give something back and I hope that we can raise as much money as possible on the day for such a wonderful service here in the heart of Kerry. It is great to have the Castlemaine Events Committee on board to help with the planning of the event. We are very lucky to have such a team in a small village."
If this event runs successfully, she added, they would love to see it as an annual event.

"Not only does it help raise money for the wonderful service of the Kerry Hospice it will also help keep my father’s memory alive.”

All queries surrounding the fair day can be directed to Castlemaine Events Committee by contacting 087 2549116 and further information is also available on the committee’s Facebook page.