‘Fantastic’ reaction to Sigi’s Christmas shoebox project in Limerick

GERMAN native Sigi Murrihy, who is hard at work collecting gifts for 200 Christmas shoeboxes to be shipped to less fortunate children in developing countries in November, has had a “fantastic” reaction to her project. 

Ms Murrihy is currently collecting toys and giving them a new lease of life before they are gifted as presents as part of the Team Hope Christmas shoebox appeal. 

Following a recent feature in the Limerick Leader, Ms Murrihy has been approached by members of the public with many donations, she said. 

“I’m happy- very happy! I’ve had a fantastic reaction. A lady gave me three bags of beautiful dolls, clean and all, I could put them straight into the boxes.” 

“Then I was standing at a Lidl at the cashout, I had a lot of toothbrushes and toothpaste, things like that. A lady looked at me and I explained: ‘Oh, they are for my shoe boxes.’ She gave me €20 to pay for them.”

“I got another bag of toys, clean again, and the other morning I got an anonymous letter with €20 anonymously in my front door.” 

“Another lady gave me €50. She came to me and said I’d like to give you something for the boxes and she gave me an envelope.” 

“People are very good like that,” she added. 

“The lady who gave me the dolls told me that she had been thinking to who could she give her lovely dolls to and then she said she read the article in the paper and she thought ‘That’s who!’” 

Ms Murrihy has completed about 80 boxes so far and will need to complete the rest by the middle of November. 

“Every Saturday morning, I go to nearly ten charity shops, all the charity shops in town, and I do my rounds from each one and I see if I can find something nice.” 

“I always get a kick if I find something nice. Maybe a nice, little teddy bear or something like that. It’s great.” 

Ms Murrihy has a winning formula to filling her shoeboxes which includes a piece of clothing, like a t-shirt, gloves or scarf, a big toy, a toothbrush and toothpaste and a small toys, like cars. 

Ms Murrihy left her home in Freiburg during World War II as a young child.

After much of her town was destroyed during a series of bombing, she found herself without any of her old toys. 

Receiving a little doll in a brown paper doll was “like heaven had opened”, Ms Murrihy previously told the Limerick Leader. 

“It was absolutely fantastic!”

Ms Murrihy has shipped hundreds of her Christmas shoeboxes abroad since she started taking part in the project a number of years ago.

She currently lives in Caherdavin with her husband Pat.

The couple recently celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary.