Local artwork is among Texaco’s choice for new 2024 calendar

A PRIZEWINNING artwork by 12-year-old Sligo student Isabel Sproule, from Strandhill National School, has been chosen to illustrate the 2024 Texaco Children's Art Competition Calendar just published.

One of 13 artworks selected to illustrate the publication, her piece, entitled ‘What Is It ...', will appear during the month of October and will be seen in thousands of homes throughout Ireland during the coming year.

Winning a Special Merit Award in this year's 69th competition, Isabel's artwork was one commended by the adjudication panel as an ‘imaginative work that displayed high levels of skill and creativity'. Calendars are currently available through a select number of Texaco service stations and through Texoil, Valero's own home heating oil division.

IT'S enough to make you go “brrrr” but Michelle O'Farrell is prepared to brace icy water by the dozen to raise money for new defibrillators.

The 37-year-old paramedic from Kilmactranny will embark upon 12 cold water dips later this month to honour the 12th anniversary of the death of her father, James.

Aged 58, James sadly died of a heart-attack 12 years ago and Michelle is more than halfway in raising the €4000 needed for two additional defibrillators at Kilmactranny and Lough Arrow – along with upgrades for the boxes containing the existing ones.

Michelle said: “This Christmas marks the 12th Anniversary of my dad James who had a cardiac arrest while being driven to the doctor with a pain in between his shoulder blades and up into his neck.

“Although he had no chest pain, these other symptoms are classic symptoms of a heart-attack.

“With his untimely death as a motivation, I decided to set up community defibrillators in Kilmactranny and Lough Arrow.

“With the help of the community attending fundraisers and donating towards it, we successfully set up two units. We have now purchased a third unit for Highwood.

“It is our aim to develop a Community First Responder (CFR) group to attend calls prior to the arrival of the Ambulance service.

“I am doing 12 cold water dips in December (Doon Shore and Rosses Point), One to mark each year of my father's anniversary with €4000 being the target. The areas to be covered by the CFR Group will be Kilmactranny, Lake Road, Highwood, Geevagh and Ballyfarnon. “On December 17 after anniversary mass and on December 21, I will be in Doon Shore at 12 noon if anyone wants to join me for those ones.”

To donate to Michelle's fundraiser, log on to www.gofundme.com/f/ kilmactranny-lough-arrow-defibrillator