Gymkhana gives helping hoof to a great cause!

WHILE the Clonroche Gymkhana was one of those events that had to be postponed due to the heatwave conditions of the summer this year, the determination of the committee meant that it went ahead, albeit a bit later than usual. Local cause Clonroche Meals on Wheels was delighted it did as it collected a cheque for €1,500 at the Cloch Ban last week - the proceeds of the event which took place in early September.

‘Usually we’d have a little bit more than that to hand over,’ said gymkhana organiser CJ Doyle. ‘But we had to change the date twice this year with the weather and put it back to September and at that stage, it was a little bit out of season. Some of the kids had gone back to school and lads had sold horses and that type of thing. But we struggled on and went ahead, because if you take one year off, that could be the end of it.’

In its 81st year, the Clonroche Gymkhana is one of the oldest events of its kind in the country and the organisers are delighted to be able to help a local cause like Meals on Wheels.

‘It’s terrible what’s happened to them,’ CJ said. ‘ They used to get the government funding, but now they get nothing at all. It was the ideal charity for us because it’s local and people can see exactly where the money is going. They were delighted to get the money in and we were delighted to help.’

CJ wished to thank all the sponsors of this year’s gymkhana and all the volunteers who helped to ensure its continued success.

Clonroche Gymkhana presentation of a cheque for €1500 to Clonroche Meals on Wheels in The Cloch Ban, Clonroche. Back: Jimmy Murphy, Grace Fairweather, Jason Kehoe, Theresa Kinsella and Martin Marshal. Front: C.J. Doyle, Gretta Browne and Pat O’Neill, Meals on Wheels; and Marguerite Furlong, chairperson Clonroche Gymkhana.