Athlone artist raises over €1.9k for South Westmeath Hospice with 2026 calendar

Athlone artist Anna Boles has once again combined her passion for art with her commitment to the local community, raising €1,905 for South Westmeath Hospice through sales of her 2026 Scenes of Athlone art calendar.

“It was a pleasure presenting the cheque raised for the South Westmeath Hospice to the fabulous Clare Lennon, with Sophie by my side,” Anna said as she marked another successful year of fundraising.

Now in its ninth year, Anna’s annual calendar has become a much-anticipated fixture, featuring colourful paintings of familiar and much-loved local scenes.

Over the past nine years, the initiative has raised more than €17,000 for local Athlone charities, a remarkable achievement driven by creativity, generosity and strong community support.

This year’s calendar, which recently returned from the printers, was sold at €15 each, with 25% of the cover price donated to charity.

In addition, 100% of the sponsorship raised went directly to South Westmeath Hospice, Anna’s chosen charity in recent years.

Anna paid tribute to the local businesses that once again supported the initiative by stocking the calendars in their stores: Cunningham's Pharmacy; Topline Heavins & Euronics; Sean's Bar; Ganly's Athlone, Longford and Mountbellew; Fernhill Garden Centre, Athlone; Burgess, Athlone; Athlone Framing; Athlone Towncentre Post Office; Poppy Fields; Athlone Photo Shop; Love My Hair; and The Dog and Duck in Ballykeeran.

She also expressed her gratitude to this year’s twelve sponsors — Fusion Training Centre; Cunningham's Pharmacy; Topline Heavins & Euronics; Sean's Bar; The Dog and Duck; Dean Crowe Theatre; Castle Inn; Ganly's Athlone, Longford and Mountbellew; Fernhill Garden Centre, Athlone; Love My Hair; Burgess, Athlone; and the Shamrock Lodge Hotel — whose contributions ensured that every euro of sponsorship went straight to the hospice.