Strand Road was bathed in glorious sunshine on Sunday as Kerins O’Rahillys Mothers & Others welcomed visiting teams for a very special football blitz to raise money for Palliative Care Tralee and in loving memory of their friend and teammate, Alison O’Sullivan.
The event brought together dozens of players, along with many more coaches, helpers, families and supporters, for an afternoon of football, friendship and a great cause.
Thanks to the tremendous generosity of everyone involved, approximately €3,000 was raised for Palliative Care Tralee!
Teams from Abbeydorney, John Mitchels, Ballymacelligott, Churchill and Dr Crokes joined the hosts for a series of friendly games played in wonderful spirits.
A special word of thanks goes to Dr Crokes for making the journey to Strand Road despite their senior men's team being in County Championship semi-final action that afternoon (and congratulations to them on their victory over Spa!).
Crossbar Challenge
While the football was played in a friendly and enjoyable spirit throughout, there was a competitive edge to the crossbar challenge that brought proceedings on the pitch to a close!
Congratulations to Liz Conway McMahon of John Mitchels Mothers & Others, who emerged victorious and was presented with a trophy in loving memory of Alison O’Sullivan by Alison's husband Danny and their children, Amelia and William — a particularly special moment in a day filled with friendship, laughter and fond memories.
Celebrations Continue at Charlie's
Following the football, players and supporters gathered for refreshments at Charlie's Café before moving to Charlie's Bar for the raffle and evening's entertainment.
A special word of thanks to Margaret and all the team at Charlie's for their wonderful hospitality on the day, and for their generous sponsorship and support throughout the year, which is hugely appreciated by everyone at the club.
The raffle was very generously supported by local businesses, families and individuals who donated a fantastic selection of prizes, while players and supporters showed their generosity by purchasing tickets throughout the day.
One of the many great prizes on offer, a year's membership of Friends of Strand Road, was won by Kerins O’Rahillys Mothers & Others player Ciara O'Sullivan.
Friends of Strand Road is one of the club's most important fundraising initiatives, helping to support the continued development of Kerins O’Rahillys. Anyone interested in joining can find further details at:
Live music followed the raffle, and Charlie's was hopping as everyone enjoyed the celebrations long into the evening!
Thank You to Our Raffle Sponsors and Donors
The raffle was a huge success, and we are incredibly grateful to the many local businesses, families and individuals who generously contributed prizes.
A sincere thank you to:
Sam McAuleys — Beauty hamper
Kerins O’Rahillys / Friends of Strand Road — Annual membership
It's My Party — Voucher
Meadowlands — Voucher
Cassidy's — Two vouchers
Marine Café, Ballybunion — Voucher
Nora Corridon — Ballybunion Pumpkin Patch family pass
McCarthy's Insurance — Wine gift set
Inception — Three 21-day challenges
O'Carroll Family — Dunnes Stores voucher and wine
The Rose Hotel — Afternoon tea and voucher
Brenda Houlihan Hair — Hair voucher
Cliffords Cash & Carry — Two bottles of wine
Sinead O'Connor — Set of wine glasses and Sanctuary Spa set with prosecco
Ashley Reynolds — Whiskey set
Hairworks — Hair care products
Erika Quill — Wine
Tralee Wetlands — Voucher
Charlie's Bistro — Voucher
Urban Sanctuary — Two vouchers
Trish Molloy Moran — Wine
Dolly Molloy — Wine
Emily Reen — Dunnes Stores voucher
Richie Roche — Wine
Reel Mark — CH voucher
Caroline Quill — Wine
Edel O'Sullivan — Bottle of wine
Pressed by Martha — Voucher
Linda Hanafin — Bottle of wine
Donna Naughton — Gin and wine gift set
O'Connell's Pharmacy — SoSu cosmetics set
Catriona Ross — Inception 21-day challenge
Sheila & Denis O’Sullivan — Set of pots and pans
Denis McElligott — Auctus Training Club voucher
Kellihers Toymaster — Family board game
Every contribution, large or small, helped make the raffle such a success, and we sincerely appreciate the support of all our donors.
A Huge Thank You to Everyone Involved
A massive thank you to all the visiting teams who joined us at Strand Road, to the coaches, organisers and helpers who gave their time, and to the families and supporters who came along to enjoy the day.
A special thank you to Clíodhna Hayes and Gary Kissane for refereeing the games and helping everything run smoothly on the day.
Thank you also to everyone who supported the raffle, made a donation or contributed to the fundraising in any way.
Above all, congratulations to our wonderful Kerins O’Rahillys Mothers & Others group for putting together such a memorable occasion.
Raising approximately €3,000 for Palliative Care Tralee is a fantastic achievement, and a fitting tribute to their much-loved friend and teammate Alison.
A brilliant day of football, friendship and community spirit at Strand Road! 💙🤍
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