Eoinie Farrell fundraising drive tops €50k for Hospice
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Eileen Seery and Oliver Seery.Image 2 of 8
Darragh Carey and Eamon Carey at the Eoinie Farrrell fundraising walk/run.Image 3 of 8
Deirdre Browne, Clodagh Browne, Breda Browne and Vinny Browne at the Eoinie Farrrell fundraising walk/run starting from Ardnagrath NS last Saturday.Image 4 of 8
Sarah Jane Curran and Owen Curran were all smiles at the fundraising walk/run.Image 5 of 8
Lorraine Morris, Goretti Farrell, Tom Farrell and Belinda Farrell at the Eoinie Farrrell fundraising walk/run last Saturday. Photo: Paul Molloy.Image 6 of 8
Gary Flanagan, Colm Markey MEP and Cllr Tom Farrell.Image 7 of 8
Athlone Community Garda Kieran Dempsey, Rose of Tralee Rachel Duffy, Caoimhe Farrell, Fiona Farrell, Ayda Farrell and Athlone Community Garda Stacy Looby at the Eoinie Farrrell fundraising walk/run at Ardnagrath NS last Saturday.Image 8 of 8
A view of the massive crowd at the fundraiser on Saturday.Although it was an extremely poignant day for the family and friends of the highly-respected Ardnagrath sportsman, the late Eoinie Farrell, last Saturday was also a wonderful celebration of his short life as people of all ages and from all walks of life took part in a 5km fundraising run for South Westmeath Hospice.
The much-loved son of local Fine Gael Cllr Tom and his wife, Goretti, and husband to Eimear (Murphy) passed away in July at just 39 years of age following a brave battle with cancer. Having received such wonderful care in the South Westmeath Hospice during the final stage of his illness, his extended family decided to organise a fundraiser for the facility which, poignantly, within days of what would have been his 40th birthday.
Upwards of 1,000 people of all ages and from all walks of life, took part in the huge fundraising run on Saturday morning, November 12, and Tom Farrell said the family were “overwhelmed and humbled” by the enormous support for the event, which had already raised over €51,700 for the local hospice last week.
He thanked the “many, many people who worked so hard” to make the day such a success, particularly the local Maryland/Tang GAA Club, of which the late Eoinie was such a huge part of, and also Moran's Coaches who provided free shuttle buses from Maryland GAA pitch to the start of the 5k route at Ardnagrath national school.
“It was a huge success and the money is still coming in, so we will be in a position to give a final tally on how much has been raised for the South Westmeath Hospice after the online iDonate fundraising drive ends on November 27,” adds Tom Farrell.
The 5km route on Saturday took in the home where the late Eoinie Farell grew up in, the home where he lived in with his wife, Eimear, and his old primary school, so it was a deeeply personal and poignant tribute to the Maryland GAA Club player who was instrumental in the club's intermediate championship success in 2008 and went on to serve as a coach and official with the Maryland/Tang underage club in recent years.
Tom Farrell pointed out that everyone who either walked or ran the 5k route on Saturday, or who helped out in a voluntary capacity was “there for the right reason, and that was the raise money for the local hospice so that other families can continue to get the wonderful care, support and compassion that we received as a family,” he said, adding that it is “hard to put into words” the support that every member of the team in South Westmeath Hospice provided to the Farrell and Murphy families during Eoinie's final illness.
“It was us as a family earlier this year, but it will be some other family today, tomorrow and into the months and years ahead, so it was important for us to do something to try to make that journey a bit easier by raising as much money as possible for our local hospice,” he continued.
Anyone wishing to still donate to the fundraising appeal for South Westmeath Hospice to honour the memory of the late Eoinie Farrell can do so online on the iDonate page:(https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/eoiniefarrell5kfamilyfunrunwalk)