L-R Sarah Phelan, Sarah Dillon, Mary Murray(ICS), Mike O’Donoghue, Saoirse Corbett, Mike Riordan, Lil McMahon, Aine Looby – missing from the photo Tara Campbell and Ellie Phelan
The Irish Cancer Society Community Fundraising officer Mary Murray visited Pallasgreen on Friday night to attend a cheque presentation from the Mighty 8 group led by local man Mike O’Donoghue. The group have been fundraising for 10 years and Friday night’s cheque for €16,44.11 brings to over €98,000 the total raised to date by the group. Ms Murray says the efforts of the group in Pallasgreen are invaluable to the work of the Irish Cancer Society in supporting patients and researching the illness. Local primary schools and St Anthony’s nursing home all support the fundraising with their efforts on Daffodil day as the centrepiece event is a daylong coffee morning at Mr O’Donoghue’s home in Dromlara. The group planted a tree last year and erected a plaque to dedicate the tree to everyone effected by cancer.
During Friday night’s event lanterns were placed to mark seven key elements of their campaign to defeat Cancer – one was to recognise all affected by cancer, one to remember 271 names on a Remembrance Board, one to thank all supporters of the Mighty 8, one to thank the media for their support, medical personal and researchers were also remembered as were the 10 years of friendship in the group and the final lantern was placed in memory of Saoirse Ruane. This year’s event was dedicated to the 12-year-old from county Galway died due to cancer earlier this year having been diagnosed in 2019 with a rare form of cancer. Those present were also invited to place candles for their own intentions.
