Janet O’Sullivan Harkin sent a note to convey ‘a huge thank you’ on behalf of her sister and Scartaglen based musician, Catriona O’Sullivan and members of the family of the late Betty O’Connell
Catriona and her friends organised a céilí in the late Betty O’Connell’s memory in Fossa in October from which a final figure recently emerged.
“I was delighted, along with members of the O’Connell family, to present a cheque for €5,800 to Mary Shanahan from the Kerry Hospice Foundation in memory of Betty O’Connell,” said Catriona.
“The generosity of the people who attended on the day of the céilí was immeasurable. Thanks to everyone who helped out in any way to make the day such a success and to all the different businesses for donating prizes for the raffle.
We’ll Do It Again
“I want to say a massive thank you to Johnny, Martina, Marianne and Michael for the super music and on behalf of all of us l wish you all a very happy Christmas. We look forward to meeting you all again next year! – Catriona promised.
A charity event with the late Betty O’Connell’s name attached to it is entirely appropriate as she opened a welcome avenue of funding for several local charities as soon as she stood, as the new host, behind the counter of Kearney’s Bar at No. 61 Main Street, Castleisland in August 2015.
The payment for every cup of tea or coffee sold in the bar during her nine year tenure there went into a jar behind the bar and was donated to a designated charity when the jar was full.
A Life Long Ambition
Betty passed away earlier this year on June 25th after a long battle with cancer. She had, however, fulfilled a life long ambition of standing behind the bar of a public house under her care and management in 2015.
That Catriona O’Sullivan and her friends remembered Betty with a charity event which yielded a sum of €5,800 for ‘the hospice’ speaks volumes for the organisers and their regard for neighbours and friends.
Betty and Catriona were born in close neighbouring town-lands in Scart – in Adrilville and Gortacoppal respectively and Catriona was just going on deep rooted instinct with her part in the organising of the céilí.
That’s tradition. That’s Scart for you.
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