Bingo: Shout house for Rathfredagh care home

YOU MIGHT not have got the chance to shout house but you could play bingo outside your house in Broadford.

A fun game of outdoor bingo raised €1,352 for Rathfredagh Cheshire Home. It was the brainchild of Sinéad Forde. Bingo caller extraordinaire Padraig O’Shea said he and Sinéad are neighbours. 

”One day while sitting on the wall Sinéad said we should have a bingo in John Paul Terrace and I laughed at the thought of it for about three weeks. Then Sinéad was walking home one day, met Peggy Greaney, mentioned it to her and Peggy said please do. So Sinéad rang me and said we are doing it and that was that,” smiled Padraig.

They got a loan of a bingo machine from Broadford Community Creche Lios na Sí.

“With advice from Mary Clancy and Peggy we got the ball rolling... We decided we could try and raise money for a worthy cause. Sinead’s sister Louise Lynch works in Rathfreadgh. They couldn’t hold their fair which they would get a lot of their funding from,” said Padraig. 

The outdoor bingo was very well supported with up to 50 people all social distancing in gardens, on walls and outside their houses on John Paul Terrace.  

“There were kids as young as three up to the the older residents. I was in my front lawn calling the numbers – we got a sound system from Daniel Sykes which could be heard from the top to the bottom of the terrace.

“We got so many donations from people of sweets and hampers, the generosity of people was amazing. We had one game for money that Sinead and I donated the money for. €10 for a line and €50 for the full house and the people that won the money gave it back for the pot so we raised €1,352,” said Padraig. Players enjoyed it so much they asked will there be another one.

“On Saturday, June 6 - and again sticking to the guidelines regarding travel distance and social distancing - we are holding another bingo this time to raise money for Broadford Community Creche Lios na Sí. They hold Broadford Summer Festival which they can’t have this year. We have set up a GoFundMe page,” said Padraig.