More than €10,000 raised for Senan Diamond Fund

More than €10,000 in funding has been raised for the cancer treatment of Ardee youngster Senan Diamond.

The two-year-old son of Hugh and Sarah Diamond was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer known as Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) in June after a large tumour was discovered in his bladder.

Senan is currently enduring intensive chemotherapy in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin.

The tumour is responding well to treatment but chemotherapy on its own will not be enough to fight the cancer.

Senan’s team of doctors have referred him to a specialist in France who offers surgery along with brachytherapy – a form of radiotherapy – to treat ERMS in bladder/prostate regions.

A fund has been set up to help pay for little Senan’s travel and treatment with over €10,000 having been taken in to date on Go Fund Me.

This has been helped by tweets from celebrities including Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given, Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham, Home and Away star Dan Ewing and boxers Paddy Barnes, Michael Conlon and Andy Lee who is auctioning gloves from his fight with Peter Quillin in aid of Senan. An anonymous gamer, known online as Tactical Potato and believed to be from Ardee, has also raised huge awareness of the campaign.

Ardee Cycling Club are also hosting a 70km cycle this Sunday while Ruth Kelly Brady and Friends will be hosting an evening of song on October 24^th in the Bohemian Centre in Ardee, with funds being split between Senan and the Jack and Jill Foundation.

A benefit night with music and entertainment will also take place in the St Mary’s GFC clubrooms on November 20^th.

For further details email senandiamondbenefitfund@gmail.com or visit the Senan Diamond Twitter page. You can also donate via Go Fund Me or via Ardee Credit Union – BIC: ARCUIE21XXX IBAN: IE 73ARCU99104001794009

Charity night organised in Dundalk in aid of Crumlin children’s hospitals

A charity night in aid of the Children’s Heart Centre and Ronald McDonald House in Crumlin will take place in Clan na Gael hall next Friday at 9pm.

The event has been organised by local couple Kieran Conachy and Leanne Gallagher as a thank you to staff for the support shown to them since the birth of their baby boy, Shea, seven months ago.

Born in April this year with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, where the chambers valves and blood vessels on the left side of the heart are not properly formed, Shea has needed highly specialised treatment to overcome these early challenges.

Now his parents Kieran and Leanne are fundraising for the charities and organisations which have been at the centre of their son’s life.

On the night there will be performances from Voice of Ireland winner Brendan McCahey and local dance group, Crystal Ice.

There will also be a raffle for over €2,000 worth of prizes with one lucky person winning a meet and greet with former Westlife star Nicky Byrne on his 2FM radio show.

Tickets, priced €10, are available from Deja Vu hairdressers in Francis Street or Fatima Stores in Fatima Court.

Alternatively contact 087-3865650.

Carlingford’s National Leprechaun Hunt scheduled for March 30th

Carlingford’s hugely popular National Leprechaun Hunt will take place this year on Sunday March 30^th from 2pm to 4.30pm.

On the day people from all over the world will assemble at the Fairgreen in Carlingford before embarking on a hunt for 100 individual ceramic Leprechauns, all of which carry rewards.

The total value of rewards is €2,000 and these can be claimed that evening at The Village Green in Carlingford.

Cost of a prospecting licence to join in with the hunt on the day is €6 per person, with proceeds from the event going towards Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin and other local charities.

For further details call 042-9373033 or email lastleprechaunsofireland@gmail.com

Floral demonstration in Carlingford this Thursday

A floral demonstration in aid of Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, takes place in the Heritage Centre in Carlingford on Thursday 5th December at 8pm (doors open at 7.30pm).

This promises to be a most interesting night with lots of ideas for decorating your home for the festive season.

Admission is €10 with tickets available from Eileen Thornton on 087 2115410 or 042 9373168

You can also book your place at the Heritage Centre, via Facebook or call 042 9373454.

Tom to visit Dundalk on Tuesday as part of 300km charity run

Ultra-runner Tom McGrath

Ultra-runner Tom McGrath will be coming through Dundalk on Tuesday as part of a 300km charity run for Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin.

Tom’s run will be started by Senator Eamon Coghlan at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin on Monday morning, and from there he will run to Navan and then on to Dundalk before he moves on to Carrickmacross and various other towns around the country.

Tom is expected to be arriving in Market Square around 5.30pm and he will be carrying the Olympic Torch from last year’s Olympic Games in London.

To help Tom raise additional funds later that evening a bring a bag/buy a bag charity event will be held in McGeough’s Bar in Roden Place.

Ladies are asked to donate their favourite handbags to be sold on for sums ranging from €5 to €25.

Anyone who cannot attend can also leave their bags in to the Tourist Office at the Market Square before Tuesday.

McGrath, originally from Fermanagh, but a US resident since the early 70s, made it into the Guinness Book of Records in August 1977 when he ran 3,046 miles unsupported across the continent, from New York to San Francisco, in 53 days and seven minutes.

He averaged a phenomenal 57 miles a day – five miles more than two marathons – and held the trans-continental record for three years.

In 1983 he came home to Ireland and ran 630 miles around the island in a week, while for three consecutive years in the early 90s, ran a 1,000-mile solo run each year for paediatric cancer charities in the US, each run taking an average of 15 days.

Asked why he was taking on this challenge, Tom replied: “When I finish these daily runs my body is weak, my muscles are sore, and I am really tired but I know after some rest I can do this again tomorrow. Some of these sick children will never be able to walk again, never mind run, so that’s what drives me to take on this challenge to make a difference for sick children.”

“For over a year now the hospital have been putting a huge effort into raising funds. They are nearly there with a total of €6m raised but they still need to raise a further €2m, and I wanted to play my part in that,” he concluded.