Fundraising ‘legacy’ of late Limerick woman  to be unveiled this Friday

TWO months after the death of Mary Cregan sparked one of the biggest single fund-raising events  witnessed in West Limerick, her grieving family are preparing to make public what will become known as Mary’s legacy.

Mary, a nurse who was described at her funeral on March 18 as a woman of joy, is the daughter of former TD and chairman of Limerick GAA County Board, John Cregan and his wife, Patsy. Mary was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2016 at the age of 30 and had a period of remission but the tumour returned last year and she died, at home, on March 14.

But in the months before her death, Mary had spearheaded the Fight the Big C fundraiser as a “way to give back”.

Tragically however, she did not live to host the event in the Devon Inn Hotel as she had hoped and planned.

But with typical generosity  her family requested that it go ahead. And it proved a huge success.

This Friday, May 10, members of the public are invited to come along to the Longcourt House Hotel, Newcastle West where the extraordinary success of that fundraiser will be revealed.

Originally, Mary told the Limerick Leader last January,  her target was €600-700 for each of the organisations she nominated. But long before her death, and to her great joy, that target had been surpassed several times.

The outpouring of solidarity and sympathy which followed her death ensured even that figure was further boosted.

Next week, cheques will be presented to seven different organisations and groups, said Jim Barry who, along with Eileen Kelly, stood in for Mary when she became too ill to co-ordinate the fundraising herself.

“We were overwhelmed by people’s generosity and by the huge numbers of people who contributed, took part or helped in any way to make this fundraiser the enormous success it became,” Jim  said this week.

“Our hope is that Friday will be an opportunity to thank all these people and complete what Mary set out to do: to give back to those organisations which helped her in her illness.”

The four originally named organisations will benefit: the Brain Tumour Association of Ireland; Brú Columbanus which provides accommodation for the families of patients at University Hospital Cork; ACT, the Aid Cancer Treatment organisation which works to improve quality of life for cancer patients and BHOC, the Bandon Hyperbaric Oxygen Centre which give patients large doses of oxygen to promote healing.

In addition, the Milford Care Centre, the Irish Cancer Society and the Jasmine Ward, St Ita’s Hospital, Newcastle West will also benefit.

The presentations will begin at 8.30pm and all are welcome, Jim Barry said.