Local men prepare for 350km cycle from Dundalk to Tralee

Michael Bishop, Jonny McGailey, and Mark Geraghty pictured with Louth Rose Jenny Hanlon ahead of their 350km charity cycle to Tralee tomorrow

Three local men will be hopping on their bikes tomorrow morning as they prepare to cycle 350km over two days from Dundalk to Tralee.

The event has been organised to raise funds for three charities, Friends of A, the Make A Wish Foundation and the Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland.

Taking part are Jonny McGailey from Dromiskin, Mark Geraghty from Blackrock and Michael Bishop from Roche. They will be joined by three others from outside the area who Jonny got to know during his spell as an escort at the Rose of Tralee festival a couple of years ago.

Jonny organised the event to coincide with the festival and donations can be made here.

So far Jonny has raised almost €1,300, which puts him well on course to get close to his target of €5,000.

The trio hope to reach Moneygall in Offaly by the end of day one where they will stay with Barack Obama’s cousin Henry Healy before completing their journey the next day to make it to the Rose of Tralee festival on Saturday.

Punters’ to host charity greyhound derby night this Friday

Punters’ Bar on Park Street will hold a charity greyhound derby night this Friday in aid of the Make A Wish Foundation.

The first race gets underway at 9.30pm. There will be six semi-final races and a final on the night and you can buy your own charity dog for €10 from behind the bar.

If your dog wins a semi-final it goes into the final.

Prize money for the final is €100 for first place, €50 for second, €30 for third and €20 for a beaten finalist.

There will also be light refreshments served on the night, as well as a bookie in house take your bets.

Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Wish Band Day coming to Dundalk next week

Make-A-Wish will host its second annual Wish Band Day on Thursday 10th April. This is the one day a year that Make-A-Wish volunteers from all over Ireland, come together in streets and shopping centres to support make a wish.

The aim of the day is to both raise awareness for the work the charity does and to raise the funds we need to continue with our mission. The first Wish Band Day was a huge success, raising €53,000 to help Make-A-Wish grant the wishes of children living with life threatening illness.

There are over 180 eligible Wish Children waiting to have their wish granted and because the charity receives no government funding whatsoever, Make-A-Wish needs your help to raise the funds which are essential to grant their wishes.

Volunteers are needed on every street in Ireland so if you can give just a few hours of your time on Thursday 10th April, why not sign-up to join the Make-A-Wish “Band of Heroes” and join the team of fantastic volunteers in your local area. Gather your friends, have fun, and help make a real difference to a child’s life.

To find out more, visit makeawish.ie or contact Gerry 0872871365

Granting a wish is true magic for the child, providing respite from their normal routines of hospitals, doctors and treatment. Make-A-Wish was established in Ireland in 1992, and since then has granted wishes for more than 1,500 brave children, allowing them to experience the hope, strength and joy each wish provides

Also on this the day there will be a magical night planned in the Fane Bar in Park Street, where the wonderful magician and brainhacker Mr Ruairi O’Connor will be performing followed by live music by Eclectic. Tickets are €10, which will also include a hot supper on the night for ticket holders. The show starts at 9pm with further information and tickets available from Gerry at 087 2871365.

O’Connor to headline fundraising night for Make A Wish

Local magician and mindreader Ruairi O’Connor will be the star attraction at a fundraising night in aid of the Make A Wish Foundation in April.

The event on Thursday April 10^th will take place at The Fane Bar in Park Street.

The show starts at 9pm, with supper served at 9.30pm. After Ruairi’s performance there will be music by Eclectic.

Tickets, priced €10, are available from Gerry at 0872871365 or from The Fame Bar.

This week’s Dundalk Leader

In this week’s Dundalk Leader, the main story is on Louth GAA’s decision to pull the plug on a proposed new stadium at Dundalk IT. There’s also a look ahead to the Dundalk Santa Run at the end of the month, news of the €22,000 that was raised for the Make A Wish Foundation and pictures from the graduation ceremonies at Dundalk IT.

All that and more in this week’s Dundalk Leader, which can be read online for free here.

Luke Kelly tribute to be held in aid of Make A Wish Foundation

 

A Luke Kelly tribute concert will be held on Friday November 1st in The Fairways Hotel in aid of the Make A Wish Foundation.

A Volkswagen car will be given away on the night, while there will also be a disco after the gig with DJ Ollie B.

Tickets, priced €10, are on sale now from The Fairways Hotel.

Brubakers to host Dundalk’s Got Talent

Brubakers will be hosting a karaoke style Dundalk’s Got Talent competition in aid of the Make A Wish Foundation this Friday.

The event, which is being sponsored by the Long Walk Shopping Centre and the Fairways Hotel, gets underway at 8pm and will feature 25 performers, as well as four “celebrity” judges. The audience on the night will decide the winner and further details on the event are available from Gerry Lennon on 087-2871365.