Newtown present €300 to hospice from Christy Keeley tournament
By Mary Dennehy
AFTER a couple of years off the pitch, the Christy Keeley Christmas Perpetual Memorial Trophy kicked off again in December – with €300 this week handed over to Our Lady’s Hospice in Harold’s Cross.
The memorial tournament was started in honour of Christy Keeley who, passing away in 2014, was a founder member of Newtown Rangers, which was established in 1957.
In his honour, the Newtown Rangers committee decided to establish a fundraiser to help raise much needed funds for the club, with the money raised split with a charity.
The club has to date donated money to the National Children’s Hospital at Tallaght, HOPE suicide prevention drop-in centre in Tallaght Village and Our Lady’s Hospice in Harold’s Cross.
In 2017, the tournament was resurrected, after weather prevented the club running the event in previous years, with the hospice chosen as the charity partner again.
According to Jimmy Ownes, Newtown Rangers’ event manager: “This year we decided to split the €600 euro raised with the hospice [again] due to the fact that one of our club men died aged 53.
“His name is Michael Kennedy and he spent five weeks in the hospice and was seen almost every day by Tommy Traynor (Leinster Senior League Referee) and volunteer in the hospice.”
Next year, the club is aiming to raise €10k, which will again be split 50/50 with Our Lady’s Hospice.
“Although the club owns its own ground and club house we still owe the bank a hefty mortgage each month and other expenses like insurance, maintenance and up keep,” Jimmy said.
He added that the club will work alongside the hospice to achieve its goal, and raise much needed funds for the club and Our Lady’s Hospice.
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