Castlemaine Fair Day in memory of John O’Donoghue will take place on the coming Sunday, October 15th with funds raised in aid of the Palliative Care Unit in University Hospital Kerry (UHK) which is a vital service here in the county.
Kerry Hospice Foundation recently proposed an expansion to include an extra five beds to the current 15 in the palliative care unit at UHK.
There are further plans to develop a palliative care base in Killarney upon completion of the new hospital unit in the town. This makes it more important than ever that funds are raised as Cancer and terminal illnesses are still a pandemic within our communities.
Fair Days Raised €59,660 for Hospice
After a very successful revival of the old fair day in Castlemaine in 2021, over the last two years the farming community and the people of Castlemaine and surrounding areas have helped raise an incredible sum of €59,660 for palliative care through event in memory of John O’Donoghue.
As John used say it is a service that is ‘bad to want but great to have.’
“The care, skill, empathy and expertise of the wonderful professionals and the facilities in the palliative care unit are second to none and will never be forgotten by the family of the late Mr. O’Donoghue,” said event spokesman, Dara O’Connor.
Children’s Entertainment
This year’s fair day event will include an amusement fun fair and lots of children’s entertainment from local clubs including Messy Play and The Brickx Club Kerry. They will also be entertained throughout the day by Donal Clifford of Party Kingdom and magician Tony Baloney.
There will be live music from 2pm by The Funky Folks, The Blow Ins and Culchie Goes Kool. There will be live auction by members of the local Mid Kerry Mart at 1pm in Griffin’s Bar car park.
Perpetual Cups for Competitions
Donations of timber, hampers, antiques, animals etc would be greatly appreciated with all proceeds going to the palliative care unit.
Registration of donations will take place that morning from 10am in Griffin’s car park. For more information, please contact Cathy on 087 6287076.
Perpetual Cups will also be presented on the day.
There will also be a pet show at 3:15pm and registration and entry will be open from 2pm to 3pm with lots of categories and prizes.
John was Known All Over
“John O’Donoghue, who was known all over, resided in the heart of Castlemaine Village and was born on January 21st. 1965 which ironically happened to coincide with a staging of the old Castlemaine Fair Day.
“It felt appropriate to mark John’s lifetime love of attending fairs and being an integral part of the farming community by reviving the fair day in his honour and with it celebrate old traditions, customs and beliefs in the locality,” said Dara.
“We hope that this year’s fair day will once again see a substantial amount of money raised by the community for our vital service here in Kerry.
An Atmospheric Event
The fair day is an atmospheric event every year in memory of John and the event would not be possible without the help of Castlemaine Events Committee and the community. We hope that each year we can bring something to the community to create an enjoyable day for all as a way of thanking the community for their attendance and for their generosity for Kerry Hospice.
“The fair day keeps John’s memory and legacy alive and, although it is heart-breaking that he is not here we know he is present in spirit and with joy,” Dara concluded.
All queries surrounding the fair day can be directed to Castlemaine Events Committee by contacting 087 2549116 and further information is also available on the committee’s Facebook page.
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