Macra cheque for Glebe Lodge

ON Saturday morning, members of Castleisland District Macra, formerly known as Killeentierna Macra, presented a cheque for €320 to Glebe Lodge residential facility.

The presentation took place in the company of some residents and staff members at the Kerry Parents and Friends Association centre in Tullig, Castleisland.

The money was raised from a coffee morning the club recently held in Currow after Sunday Mass.

The main people behind this fund-raiser were club treasurer, Maurice Roche and club chairperson at the time, Alan O’ Connor.

“We decided to fund-raise for this centre as it does an incredible amount of work in looking after people with high dependency and elder-care needs,” said Maurice Roche.

Originally there was a Castleisland Macra Na Feirme Club in the area; this ended in 2011.

“When a new group of young people got together in 2013 they decided to call the newly formed club Killeentierna Macra,” explained Alan O’Connor the current PRO.

“Over the years our membership has grown well beyond the borders of Killeentierna so we decided that Castleisland District Macra was a more appropriate name for the club.

“We have members from Ballymacelligott, Cordal, Brosna, Knocknagoshel and from even as far as Duagh.

“A lot of people still think that Macra is an organisation just for farmers, but we actually have more non-farmers than farmers as members.

“Some of the professions of people in our club include: accountants, pharmacists, teachers and engineers. At the end of the day Macra is an organisation for young people between the ages of 17 and 35, and it’s run by young people to get young people out and about to events.

“We organise fund-raisers like our coffee morning or take part in sporting events like bowling as well as public speaking or debating competitions,” Alan concluded.

For more information on the local Macra Club, contact the secretary, Christine, on 087 264 8641.

Photo by John Reidy Members of the re-branded Castleisland District Macra Club presenting the proceeds of their coffee morning to clients and management of Glebe House on Saturday morning. Seated: Kathleen O’Callaghan, club treasurer Maurice Roche and Pat Dee. Back row: Centre Manager Joanne Leahy, Theresa Walsh, Eileen Hannon, Chairman Gearóid O’Shea; Secretary Christine Buckley, and Club PRO Alan O’Connor.