News

Tralee Family’s Reunion Weekend Helps Raise Thousands For Kerry Hospice

.
The O’Callaghan clan presented a cheque for €3,200 to Kerry Hospice on Friday evening in The Slieve Mish Bar. Seated from left were; Anne McCarthy, Caroline Simpson, Mickey Pa Callaghan, Margaret Crean (Kerry Hospice), Stephen O’Callaghan, Mary Shanahan (Kerry Hospice) and Mary Carmody. Photo by Dermot Crean

A WEEKEND of events organised by the O’Callaghan family from Tralee recently ended up raising €3,200 for the Kerry Hospice Foundation.

Three days of activities were organised in town over the May Bank Holiday weekend for the descendants of Julie Tobin, of Giles Lane, Ballymullen and Michael ‘Paka’ Callaghan of Mary Street who were married in 1935 and moved to 63 Mitchels Crescent four years later.

One of the organisers, Stephen O’Callaghan, explained how the weekend went.

“We called the event the ‘Tralee 63’ and created a Facebook page, inviting all family members to join. We have over 120 on the page now.”

Continued below…

.

“We had over 20 people flying in from the UK for the weekend and they were greeted on the Friday in Farranfore by my cousin, Leanne McCarthy, playing the bagpipes. That was followed by a meet and greet event in The Ashe with over 1,000 photos on display and we rounded off the night with a sing-song.”

“On the Saturday we had a walkabout of the Mitchels area and some saw where their grandparents came from for the first time. Then we had tea and scones in The Slieve Mish before a dinner later that night in The Ashe Hotel attended by 135 people.

The organising committee of the O’Callaghan Family Reunion weekend at a barbecue in Quanes back on May 1.

“The Sunday saw a barbecue in Skelper Quanes with more extended family attending to cap off a wonderful weekend,” said Stephen.

There was a fundraising element to the weekend where a signed Kerry jersey was raffled at the dinner on the Saturday night in aid of Kerry Hospice.

“The Hospice has been good to all our family and the Palliative Care Unit provides great service and support. It’s a cause close to our hearts,” said Stephen.

Mary Shanahan and Margaret Crean from the Kerry Hospice were on hand at The Slieve Mish bar on Friday night to accept a cheque for €3,200 from the very generous O’Callaghan family.

O’Callaghan clan members at the reunion during the May Bank Holiday weekend.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….