News
Gina hopes to bring comfort to the people of Kerry
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By Michelle Crean
One Firies lady is on a mission to raise as much funding as possible for 'Comfort for Chemo Kerry' to help those going through treatment to have more comfort.
Gina Herlihy, who normally organises a Little Women's Christmas event, has had to take her charity work online due to this year's restrictions.
So far, over €2,500 has been raised of the €1,000 target set - and she's hoping for even more support.
Gina began fundraising two years ago for Comfort for Chemo Kerry as she lost both parents to cancer.
"I was 15-years-old when my mother died of breast cancer and she travelled up and down to Cork for her treatment," she explained.
"My father was 62 but never had treatment. I know how much a new chemotherapy unit will mean to people who are in need of chemotherapy services in Kerry."
She held two fundraising events over the past two years in the village of Firies and a total of €10,100 was raised.
"The community spirit from the people of Firies and beyond was always amazing. Businesses and locals again this year are very generous. The charity is on a mission to raise €5m to build a new state-of-the-art separate unit on the grounds of UHK for the people of Kerry and surrounding areas who are in need of chemotherapy services and I'm hoping that this fundraising raffle will generate much needed funds to help them along. Due to COVID I could not host the same event this year but wanted to still raise funds so I reached out to businesses for prizes and they and local people were only too delighted to donate."
This fundraiser is all about this amazing charity, she added.
"I'm extremely proud to be a fundraiser for them and I'm also very grateful to the people of Firies and Kerry and beyond for their continued support. Everyone has said how much they will miss the women’s night this year so I'm hoping that people will dress up in their Christmas jumpers and tune in live to the raffle on Facebook and they can take photos and send them in to me. I'll do a memory gallery afterwards and maybe we can show some photos of them and their excitement if they win."
To donate and help the cause search GoFundMe: Christmas Raffle in aid of Comfort For Chemo Kerry.
Free entry for under 18s at Ross Castle
Young people and families can explore Ross Castle free of charge throughout August as part of a national Office of Public Works (OPW) initiative.
The 15th-century stronghold on the shores of Lough Leane will waive admission fees for all visitors under 18 from August 1 to August 31. The scheme aims to make cultural and historic sites more accessible to young people and families during the summer holidays.
Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult. The promotion applies across fee-paying OPW heritage sites nationwide, excluding Kilmainham Gaol and Brú na Bóinne.
Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Kevin “Boxer” Moran, said the initiative offers young people a memorable way to connect with history, nature, and culture over the summer break.
Killarney judoka gain international experience in Bath
Eight members of Killarney Judo Club travelled to England last weekend for an international training camp at the University of Bath, with club member Ciara Forde competing at the West of England competition.
Accompanying five families, the young athletes joined 120 competitors from across the UK for two days of training and sparring in a high-performance environment.
The trip provided many of the judoka with their first opportunity to train alongside international athletes. It also offered members a look at a purpose-built facility, supporting the club’s push for a dedicated dojo at the Derreen Sports Project.
Coach Tim Kelly said:
“This camp gave our players the opportunity to test themselves in a challenging environment. Bath University has a proud history of producing Olympians, and we hope the experience inspires our young judoka to aim even higher.”
The club takes a summer break before returning on August 13 to prepare three members for their Black Belt grading later this year. Children’s classes resume on Monday, September 7. New members can contact Tim Kelly on 086 260 1591.
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