Murphy’s hit target
Fundraiser to help health workers
ON A bright, cold Sunday morning, the Fr. Murphy’s players and supporters could be seen running in the streets and parks throughout London, as part of the club’s initiative to raise funds to cover all our own nurses’ and healthcare workers’ professional fees for 2021.
Not only was it in London, but former players ran in Dubai, in Boston, in Dusseldorf, in Sydney, and several counties throughout Ireland, with in excess of 70 people supporting the event.
Anne Corrigan, formerly of Shelmaliers, ran in London, and her sister Laura, a Wexford All-Ireland winning captain in 1995, ran in Wexford.
A big supporter of the event was Seamus Casey from Oylegate, a member of the Wexford Senior hurling panel, whose grandfather Jim Howlin, uncles Darren, Seán and Jimmy, are stalwarts of the hurling club and whose father and mother both played for the club.
Clonakilty Black Pudding were the main sponsors and the jerseys were supplied by Bodibro in Gorey.
Other notable runners included Caitríona McKeon from Wicklow, who played football and camogie for the club and on her return home captained Wicklow to a Junior All-Ireland in 2011, beating New York after a replay. One-time camogie player Bernadette Ryan, a former Laois Rose of Tralee, ran near her home in Rathdowney.
Gráinne Small ran in Tyrone, Kate Gallahue ran in Cork, Florence Mitchell and Sarah Cronin ran in Kerry, and Claire Moore ran up the Devil’s Bit in Tipperary. Ann Marie McDonald ran in Boston, with Eimear McGann in Germany and Ruth Foley in the desert of Dubai.
It was a really wonderful effort from the club and pledges are still coming. When everything is tallied up, we will have enough to honour the commitment to our own health workers.
Any surplus will be used for essential safety equipment for training and playing, such as thermometers, sanitisers, and also a club defibrillator to have on the sideline at all training sessions and matches.
We have been given the green light to return to play, and our first session will be on Sunday, April 18, in East Acton, with matches in both codes scheduled to start on the first weekend in May.
Anyone who wishes to support the club may do so by playing our weekly lottery every Sunday evening. At the moment the jackpot is £3,000 and you play through Clubforce (https://play.clubforce. com/play_newa.asp?ll_id=1971). All support is greatly appreciated.
The ladies’ club, the men’s club and the youth club are all getting back to training and looking forward with hope to the new season.
Anyone wishing to contact the club may do so by emailing frmurphysladies@gmail.com, follow Fr Murphy’s Camogie & Ladies Football Club on Facebook and @ fr_murphys on Twitter, or contact Larry on 07944178879.