VALENTIA OUT IN FORCE FOR ANTHONY
ANTHONY Morris of the Spa GAA club near Killarney is a former Kerry Minor, Under 21 and Junior footballer. He also won County Championship medals with East Kerry in the late nineties.
Down through the years he became very friendly with a number of Valentia Islanders through his work with the D and U plumbing firm in association with the James Lynch Construction LTD company of Valentia. He subsequently went on to study Civil Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, where he met his Kildare born wife Margaret who also qualified as a Civil Engineer.
Unfortunately, the past number of years have been extremely tough for Anthony, who has been very ill.
He is suffering from Chronic Lyme disease and for the past eight years has been a shadow of his former self. His condition was finally diagnosed by German medics. Anthony has recently been transferred to the Jemsek Speciality Clinic in Washington DC to undergo Intense treatment for his illness. This comes at a very high cost of course and numerous fund-raising events have and will be organised for his cause.
His Valentia Island friends decided that they could not stand idly by and decided to come together to help an old friend.
A fundraising committee with a view to organising a cycle from Valentia to Spa was put in place. They were John Shanahan, Pat O’Connor, Tony Curran, Tommy Gilligan, Seamus Lynch and Liam Lynch. They worked in association with the Valentia GAA club chaired by John O’Sullivan.
On Saturday, June 11, the cycle commenced at 8am from the grounds of the Young Islanders GAA club and what an enjoyable occasion the whole day proved to be.
The weather was ideal and Anthony’s father Jim Morris came to Valentia on the previous evening to be at the start in appreciation of the efforts made for him here. He lodged with the scribe of this page.
A photo and video shoot by Brian O’Connor from Cooil saw Jim Morris present a photo to Mick O’Connell. It depicted O’Connell and Anthony at the occasion of the County Intermediate Football Final between Valentia and Spa in 1995. Anthony has the distinction of having been the last man to mark O’Connell. Jim Morris also set a perfect tone for the day by singing The
Wildflower of The Laune at the start on the road while wearing the Kerry jersey. Dan Tim O’Sullivan, a generous contributor to the cause, also sang Sweet Kerry How I Love You.
On a God given day, the cycle went from the Valentia GAA grounds to the New Chapel Cross in Waterville, calling to the Climber’s Inn of Glencar, Kissane’s Shop of Beaufort and finishing at the Spa GAA grounds.
The group, comprising about 50, were escorted by a Garda motor cycle from Killarney to the Spa grounds and also led from there in bicycles by Mick O’Connell, the former Kerry footballer, councillor and Spa native Mick Gleeson as well as Kevin Griffin of Glenbeigh and former Kerry footballers Derry Crowley and Ger Lynch
They were treated to refreshments and a royal welcome in the GAA rooms with speeches rendered by the Spa GAA Chairman, Ger Mangan, the former Young Islanders Chairman Micheál Lyne (who presented a Valentia slate momento in honour of the occasion), Mick O’Connell, John Shanahan and Jim Morris senior and junior. The occasion was also attended by Anthony’s mother Sheila, father Jim and sisters Sinéad and Mary.
The organising committee would like to express it’s thanks to the following: The Valentia GAA club, the Spa GAA club, all the cyclists from Valentia and elsewhere, the registrars who were Collette O’Connor and Sinéad O’Connor, the video man Brian O’Connor, the van drivers who were John James O’Connor, Kevin Curran, Joe Lynch, Paudie Lynch, Seamus O’Donoghue and John Curran. Robert Nolan, who supplied his bus and drove the cyclists home. Garda Michael Murphy for the motor cycle escort. James and Geraldine Daly of Daly’s shop in Waterville, Sheila O’Sullivan of the Climber’s Inn in association with Michael Morris. Frank Coffey and the Beaufort GAA club. Mick O’Connell, Kevin Griffin, Derry Crowley Ger Lynch and Mick Gleeson for their very significant input. Tommy Gilligan, who raised €1,500 through line selling. Slogadh signs of Killorglin for their supply of signage
The organising committee are glad that Mary O’Donoghue (nee Casey of Carhan and originally Portmagee) and Fionán Murphy of Valentia have recovered from mishaps on the day. They extend all good wishes to them.
The entry fee for the cycle was €25 and the contribution account at Cahirsiveen Credit Union remains open.
Finally, the Morris family are deeply appreciative of the Valentia effort and would like to express their sincere thanks to all. The scribe of this page spoke to Anthony by phone on the evening of the cycle and he expressed his deep appreciation from Washington of the efforts made for him.
He followed the occasion on the internet and sincerely thanked each and everyone who played a part in any way.He will be in everyone’s thoughts and prayers in the months ahead as he undergoes intense treatment.
FOOTNOTE: I stayed in Glenflesk on the night of the cycle with Jim Morris. I would like to thank Jim and Sheila Morris for their hospitality and also thank that remarkable and colourful character Johnny O’Brien of Glenflesk who gave me a memorable trip by horse and cart around his field.
We look forward to a visit to Valentia by Johnny in the near future.