The Horan household at 31 Cahereens West, Castleisland has always been festooned with festive lighting at this time of the year going back a while.
But another kind of light went on in the run-up to Christmas 2017 when Joan Horan got the idea of making a profit for charity from their lighting displays.
Post Box / Collection Box
They started at the big iron gate in front of the house with its inbuilt post box.
They just called that the collection box and went on adding light were they saw the merest hint of dark.
In 2017 the children’s charity Barnardos benefited from the family’s first fundraising foray and they were off on a seasonal cycle of unwinding, untangling and testing of bulbs and switchings on.
Light-Bulb Moment
Joan Horan’s late brother Michael was the inspiration for her light-bulb moment back in 2017 and she wanted to do something positive in his name and she quietly dedicates each lighting up moment to him ever since.
“I always like doing up the house at Christmas anyway so I thought that we’d do it for a charity in 2017. Michael’s memory and Barnardos clicked with me as I was putting up the lights then and we went from there,” said Joan.
Kerry Cancer Support Group
Since 2017, Joan and Paul and family, Siobhán and Jack have also donated their collections to the Sera Husky and Animal Rescue Centre in 2018 and last years cheque was made out to the locally based neigbours at Acquired Brain Injury.
This strange year of 2020 they will shine their lights on the Kerry Cancer Support Group and manager, Breda Dyland and support administrator, Linda Daly travelled out to Castleisland for the switch on.
The Currow Side of Divanes
Horans’ House of Light can be found by driving or walking into Cahereens West – the entrance is at the Currow side of Divanes Castleisland. Taking the first left and the house (if it’s dark it will be all bright – if you get me) is about a 100 yards away on the right.
You’ll see the postbox on the gate waiting for your donation.
If you’d like to find out more about this year’s beneficiaries you can with a Click on the link here: https://kerrycancersupport.com/about
You can contact The Maine Valley Post on…Anyone in The Maine Valley Post catchment area who would like to send us news and captioned photographs for inclusion can send them to: jreidy@mainevalleypost.com
Queries about advertising and any other matters regarding The Maine Valley Post can also be sent to that address or just ring: 087 23 59 467.
