Helping hand for the folks back home

THE catastrophic bush fires in Australia which have been burning for months and have spread over 18 million acres of land have brought people in Dingle together to raise money and send it down under.

Australian born Jill Burton who lives in Dingle, helped by fellow Australian Morgan Brophy, have started a campaign to raise funds for the Saint Vincent de Paul society in Melbourne or the “Vinnie’s Victoria” as they are locally known. Jill is well known for the Thursday night pub quiz that she runs in McCarthy’s Pub as well as her ‘Great Daingean Uí Chúis Cake Bake-Off ’, which takes place as part of the Dingle Food Festival.

“As Australians living in Dingle we decided to do something to help those affected by the destruction the fires have caused” said Jill. She did what she knows best and organised a pub quiz with questions based mostly on all things Australian. The quiz was held last Thursday and raised €1,175 on the night. Such was the generosity of local businesses in donating prizes that Jill has decided to hold a second draw which will take place after the pub quiz on February 6th in McCarthy’s bar.

The prizes include a signed shirt donated by Mark O’Connor from Dingle who plays Aussie rules with Geelong, a night in the Skellig Hotel with a meal in The Chart House restaurant, afternoon tea in the

Brehon Hotel with a voucher for the Style Room, and a €100 voucher for The Coach House.

Tickets cost €5 and they can be purchased in local outlets including McCarthy’s Bar, Paddy Bawn Brosnan’s, The Dingle Barbershop, Dingle Bookshop, Foxy John’s, Thyme Out and Garvey’s Sports, For more information contact Jill on 087 4105519

Photo by Declan Malone Jill Burton - raising funds for bush fire relief in her native Australia.