Fancy dress in aid of Zoe’s fund
ON Friday night I headed for the Marquee in Toales bar where a special Fancy Dress fundraiser for local girl Zoe Murphy was taking place. Zoe was born with PVL brain injury and was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and is now a candidate for life changing surgery in the USA with a price of $100,000. Locals have set about raising the money or her operation. The fancy dress on Friday night was one of many events round town over the coming months to help raise the money.
I wasn’t too long in the door when I met up with her parents Eamonn Murphy and Linda Bannon from Belfry Drive whom, along with a committee are actively involved and wanted to thank everyone for all their help and effort. So far to date they have raised €32,000 and have a table quiz organised for the Lisdoo on November 2nd and a Darts night in the Clans on November 7th where 20 local arrow chuckers will take on Michael Smith who is ranked 8th in the world.
I then headed over for a chat with Matthew English and Howard Flynn from CBD Network Ltd who have also been aiding her life and are founder members of the committee.
After this I headed over for a chat with Oliver Morgan and Brendan Byrne from Meadow Grove. Oliver was on hand on the night to present a cheque for €1,000 from local musician and general legend Jim Corr.
Heading for one of the tables I then caught up with Zoe’s mum Linda Bannon who was with her sister Tracy Kingston from Bay Estate and said they were with their friends Aoife McVerry from Blackrock and Geraldine McCrory from Blackwater Court who were out in the bar having a laugh.
Linda was also chatting to Pat Jeffers from Forkhill who had heard about Zoe’s plight and had come down on the night to lend his support.
After this I had the pleasure of talking to Dawn Collins from Lennonstown Green and Jackie Kelly from Greenacres who told me she ‘doesn’t do wild’ when it came to partying, but I somehow thought she mightn’t be telling me the entire truth. Both girls were dressed and looking scary as hell.
They were sitting with the gorilla David Toner from Bellurgan, Terry Duffy from Armagh Road and the scariest clown I’ve seen in quite some time Brian Hearty from Manydown Close who were all up for a mad night.
They were joined by Darren Markey from Jocelyn Grove as an under-cover cop and Cheryl Foley from Beechmount Drive who was The Bride from Kill Bill who were there to support the night and have a mad one too.
After this I got a word with Tracey Foley from Clancullen Park who was going to make sure the dancefloor got plenty of use on the night.
Not too later I met up with Ellen Farrell from Drogheda who told me she was there on the night with Ryan Moran and Anto Woods and they were going to have a totally insane night.
I then got talking to Matthew English from Mounthamilton who said that he had held the first meeting in his house with Oliver Pearse, Nora Duffy and Howard Flynn and within 8 weeks they had boxes out and had been round the businesses promoting their work. They had recently received money from both St. Vincents and Realt na Mara and efforts were just getting bigger and bigger and they were very appreciative of the efforts made by people around Dundalk.
Back from the bar I then had the pleasure of talking to Aoife McVerry from Blackrock and Geraldine McCrory from Blackwater Court who was delighted that her neighbours Ray Brennan and Edel McMullen had eventually tied the knot after a 28-year courtship. Congratulations goes out to you both!
Finally, before I departed I met up with brothers Michael and John Kavanagh from Cypress Gardens who said they had to come down and support such a worthy cause.