River Island card players’ trump card for charity

THE few organisers behind the ongoing and long running, Sunday night ‘card school’ at the River Island Hotel have a simple philosophy to their charity donation dates.

When they have enough collected to give cheques in the region of €1,000 each to a handful of local charities, they name a date and do the job.

This is usually done on an ordinary Sunday night and just before the serious business of the night gets underway and the cards are dealt.

To date, the committee has donated in the region of €60,500 to a growing list of worthy charities.

Their latest donations night was slightly different as they had a special presentation to make to the venue which has hosted their altruistic activities for the best part of the past decade.

They presented an autographed Munster Rugby jersey to the hotel in appreciation of its vital part in their weekly fundraisers.

The framed and ready to hang jersey is special in that it includes the autograph of the late and lamented Munster player and coach, Anthony Foley.

In this latest round of charity donations the beneficiaries to receive €1,000 each were: Recovery Haven, Tralee; The Cork / Kerry Health Link Bus; The Oncology Unit, University Hospital Kerry; Children’s Leukemia Association and Breast Cancer Ireland.

This particular card school is running since September 1994 and was set up by then host, John O’Sullivan at Skevenas Bar as a fundraiser for the Castleisland Coursing Club. The club was about to buy and develop its own grounds just off the Black Road in Tullig at the time.

When that mission was accomplished and the bills paid they decided to keep the school going and turn their financial attentions to local charities.

In the course of 2016 alone the card players have raised and presented €10,500 to charitable organisations.

“The card players of the River Island Hotel have contributed over €60,000 to charities since it began and we would like to thank all our players who helped raise the funds and the management and staff of the hotel for the use of the facilities here over the years,” said organising committee PRO, John O’Connell.

Photo by John Reidy Members of the River Island Hotel card players’ committee making a presentation of an autographed, Munster Senior Rugby jersey to Micheál O’Donoghue who accepted on behalf og the hotel. Included are, seated from left: Donie Cremins, Micheál O’Donoghue...