Ballyboughal.net » charity

Cian Delaney: 18 of Irelands Highest Mountains in 62 Hours

Peter — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 20:42:12 +0000

Take a listen to above first….

More information over at the fire fighters challenge website.

To throw Cian a few bob – drop it into the pub in an envelope or ask for his Dad Ronnie.

Other than that – drop a comment below and wish the man all the very best. Well done Cian my friend – very proud to support you on this one. Did I mention he starts this Friday and finishes Sunday night!! You’d better hurry up and get that tenner out of your pocket…..

I can see him now, up there hanging out of the magillacuddy reeks…..

The Big Toddle… ?

Peter — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:56:58 +0000

...

Last week Amy Cooney called to my house. Mary, her Mom, runs the Village Montessori. I’m handed an envelope and asked can it be put up on the website.

P: What is it Amy…?
A: Aah the children in the Montessori took part in a sponsored Toddle in aid of Barnardos….

P: What the…. a toddle….?
A: Ah they did laps of the GAA pitch

What the….? I’ve seen the GAA team training for the Junior Cup… thats a bit tough on a 2 or 3 year old I thought….

p: Sorry….?
A: Ah you know at their own pace, like only a bit, a few metres or whatever of a walk, whatever they could…

So I get it now. A walk. A waddle. A toddler. A sponsored toddle. I read the letter and I was blown away….

Little Feet Take On Big Feet!

In aid of Barnardos, Toddle Team Village Montessori took part in the Danone Big Toddle on Wednesday 19th May. 18 children did the sponsored walk big toddle and so far have raised €646

People can still sponsor the Big Toddlers at www.barnardos.ie/bigtoddle

*My apologies for not having this up sooner but, ye know the whole computer crash thing…. also the images had to be scanned in so…. I did my best

*also: I only count 17 in the above image…. I hope I didn’t leave anyone out. Let me know and it can be resolved very easily.

Well done to all. I personally think this kind of story should make the 9 o’ clock news

Caroline O’Hara Charity Table Quiz **This Friday May 7th

Peter — Wed, 05 May 2010 21:40:29 +0000

...

You may remember Caroline O’Hara…

She did a coffee morning for Réalt in March to raise money for her trip to Africa

Anyhow…. she emailed me this eveing and it seems gig #2 is on the way

When Who What When…?

This Friday 7th May
Ringcommons sports centre.
Start time is 8:30 p.m.
€24 for a table of 4

Thats a bargain… and I know from organising them they are an absolute ball of a night if you get the cookie crew to tag along with you.

wallacedene and the garden of hope team 2009

Peter — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:27:20 +0000

update: table quiz dec 3rd malahide…?

To read post number one of the journey – click here

They say the gardening team were a special bunch. I’m unsure whether some meant that with a touch of humour…. But the truth is we were are. The reality is though that that humour is so necessary. When I think to one of last years highlights, that of Gerry taking the tv remote to work rather than his mobile phone… the milage 70 odd adults got out of that. Child like, maybe, but necessary.

With that in mind, it also summises the one thing you must bring with you on your trip and equally as important the one thing you must leave as home…

This year some of us agreed to lay amongst the random dappled paving *ahem approximately 3 metres of just pink and the white…. the laugh it got and I still smile when I see Adrian break out laughing followed by Betty asking who is that man…? as she nods toward head foreman Dermot. It lasted us the entire week…

If you were thinking of travelling across and you were on your own… you’re not. Everyone rooms in with someone. It was my room mate Padraic’s first trip. I never saw him until the Thursday

On the gardeners first night that everyone was in Cape Town dinner was organised for us by one of our pink [t-shirt] ladies Rosetta. On the third night a karaoke inter team showdown was organised…. which the gardeners [jointly] won! It really is very much a case of as long as you have a name badge on you are not alone.

After hearing some of the school children sing happy birthday followed by It’s a long way to Tipperary to Anne Marie for her birthday… the highlight of the week for the gardeners[in my opinion] has to be Sluggers annual awards ceremony [the bit in the vid where we're all in the school desks]. There were awards for best builders bum, legs, crappest workmanship, best excuse…. the list goes on. I won one of my two medals [yet again] for best chat up line… I have to thank [?!!] Niamh for this one It was just after 6am… or at least thats my excuse…

Jees you’ve got lovely hair Elvis

The day starts generally with breakfast at about 6.15 – 7am depending. From there a coach brought us on a 20 minute jouney to the township from our hotel. Everyone is scanned in from the name badge. All t-shirts are colour coded. We had a morning break at about 10am and the lunch at about 1pm. From there is was straight through less a 3pm cuppa until 5, sometimes later. The coach then returned us to our hotels.

During the day, people were brought on a visit to a shack. I did this in year one. One meets a family who may be getting a house. One meets their family… gets an insight. If ever you doubted why you were there… that moment disappears within seconds of this. It is such an important part.

The work is hard. It is tough. I make no bones about that. Physically and mentally. One is away from home. One misses their loved ones, naturally. But what everyone takes from this is life changing and worth every sacrafice second of it. There are medics assigned to each team and believe me no stone in the preparation is left unturned. That said if you only came out to rub sun cream on builders legs, hand out bottles of salted water or plant one tree you have made a difference.

I remember on our final night. The rap party as it is called. Niall told the story of a man who went to the beach every day and threw a washed up starfish back into the sea. After some days of doing this every day, a man approached and asked why he bothers to do this…. after all they just keep on getting washed back up. What difference would it make? The man replied that to that one starfish, it makes a difference. That story is told by a man who every year I have gone has welcomed every single volunteer, individually off the plane from Ireland to thank them for coming.

To those of you who helped me out along the way… either by donation or just a helping hand while I was gone. To those of you who I had the honour of meeting while I was there and to those who are not mentioned here…. thank you, thank you and thank you so very much. I hope this goes a little to show my appreciation. You did make a difference.

I’ve uploaded all of my 2009 blitz images/ photographs here

A great overview of the entire week can be read on the official Niall Mellon Township Trust blog – click here – you should also visit here if you are interested in travelling next year.

To visit my charity website click here

niall mellon township building blitz 2009

Peter — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:04:05 +0000

950 Volunteers – 1 Week – 200 New Houses

I had disappeared for the last week or so…. and it seems in Ballyboughal terms I missed quite a bit… congratulations footballers!!
This is what I was doing….

Wallacedene, Cape Town, South Africa.

My third year to travel with The Garden of Hope Team, this year was always going to be yet another amazing project. As most of you know by now, I travel not to build houses but as part of a team of gardeners to, this year, build a community playground, football pitch and vegetable and fruit gardens.

What we didn’t bank on was the rain…. and by God did it fall.

But the options were….? We did have one half day of rain stops play… we then worked through as it got worse to make up the lost hours. And in the end it did work out. The sun started shining. It was always gonna happen

I’ve had to pause here writing this post…. It’s upsetting to be honest. My voice is gone. My bones are sore. There’s a pride inside me for what I as part of a team did… and then I think that maybe I could have done more. I’ve tears in my eyes. I’ve turned on the heating and type on my laptop and I’m trying, really trying not to write a sad post. Maybe to speak of the families and children with HIV and on housing lists for over 20 years…. when the rain came down one of the guys was telling me of a man they met with a frying pan trying to keep the water from his shack. I doubt he slept that night. But the people are so happy, friendly and polite. The children still smile. To see them dancing in middle of the water feature… that was the moment I took. Maybe I’ve numbed slightly to it after 3 years…

I heard of one lady. Originally from South Africa. She works in a pub in Ireland and for the last five years has saved her tips. This year she done the trip. She paid €5,000 to come to South Africa to work. The same as all of the Irish did. I worked with ladies in their 60′s and 70′s who laboured as myself and Colin lay cobbles. I met people who had lost loved ones so recently. Those who had no jobs to return home to in Ireland…. I’ve just thought of them too.

I’m gonna sit and have a cuppa now. The vid is done. I have some writing done here and a blog post to thank you all so much for your support. In garden terms… I think you’ll agree the volunteers made the best of it and kept the smile sunny side up… More than that – I know you will agree that our new friends in Wallacedene love it.

Thank you all for everything…. see you in a little.

I’ve uploaded all of my 2009 blitz images/ photographs here

A great overview of the entire week can be read on the official Niall Mellon Township Trust blog – click here

To visit my charity website click here

To view the original post – click here

he’s a gardener gett him out of here….

Adrian McMahon — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:39:20 +0000

to read the original post – click here

In 2008 I and a group of over 100 people [2,000 in total] on a gardening team went to south africa with the niall mellon township trust to build gardens. My 2008 story is here [click it.... go on... click it]!!

This year I need to raise some dosh. money. spondulas… go on stuff some dollars in an envelope and send it to ballyboughal play the video above first.

I have a few ideas. But nothing really organised. I could use your brains, your hands, your thoughts, your old crap and your ideas…… not stuff you don’t want like the vase that Auntie Mary bought you for your wedding that *he’s* always hated….If you can’t gimme diddly well then…. eh?

I’m up for a challenge…. I will do it…. dare me, go on I dare you. Dare me to do something….. I’m really cheap *and* I’m damn good value for money

groovy track on this song by the way….

‘boughal boys hit twestival

Peter — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:28:55 +0000

aido

if you dont know what twitter is and you’re reading this then… eh? google it.

No. That was very rude of me.

This may explain it and of course from twitter – to what a twestival is.

Click here to hear Adrian Mc MahAon on Phantom Fm.

If you still don’t gettit then – take the following steps please:

take out a hammer and smash the computer to pieces…
pick up a mills and boon book
hit yourself with it
get out more

With all that in mind – this was a charity event. It was good fun which makes life always easier. It was also about friends whom I already know or had not seen in a long while.

That said this is Ballyboughal.net and whilst Andrew Stanley is from Swords… Jason Byrne – the mentalist is [a blow in - sure aren't we all], myself and Aido were there.

I have few rules in my life to abide by. But the few will always be.

say hello and thank you
dont be a miserable shoite
open the door for a lady
smile

IF you go a step further – and give someone some money – and it makes you feel good – then you really must be a cool dude.

By the way Jason does the lotto in the petrol station in Ballyboughal – if you see him in there – go kick in the shin and tidy up his hair!

If you weren’t there and you need a good night…. [you do you know] – pick up a newspaper – and get to a charity event somewhere – you will enjoy yourself or you can wait coz this one’ll be there next year.

Ode to the sponsors, the organisers, rick, andrew and the revellers. Bulaidh bós lads well done.

Cork? Poker? Charity?

Peter — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:19:15 +0000

I got this from a guy I know who knows another guy- no! he doesn’t sell dodgy cars – he does computer stuff that I’ll never fully understand. But if he speakes the word… you’d better get your arse [and wallet outta here]. Anyway…. Cork? Poker? Charity?

The missus can’t argue with that for a weekend away – or if you are the missus – he can’t argue with that. All In a good name of cause. Yeah it’s short notice but for Gods sake – you have to live sometime. Are you gonna run away with Joanna Lumley? Join The secret service? Say F*** on tv like Geldof? No then go to Cork and do something like the other highrollers and make yourself useful

Watch the video first, then get the details below….

DETAILS: This coming Saturday, a friend of mine is organising a Charity Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament in the Bank Casino on Father Mathew street to raise money for the Zimbabwean branch of Serve (serve.ie).

Should be great fun… I’ll be there, and we need to spread the word for a last push to get a few more bodies involved, so if you could let people know any way you can that would be great!

Full details on the Facebook event page or you can email charitypokerevent@gmail.com to register your interest, or to get more details.

Please spread the word!