By Cian O’Connell

Last Monday evening St Dominic’s four adult teams in Roscommon scored 4,000 points for charity.

The Ladies Football, Camogie, Gaelic Football, and Hurling outfits in the club all contributed handsomely to an interesting fundraiser for Family Carers Ireland.

Former Roscommon footballer and current County Board Treasurer David O’Connor has occupied a central role in St Dominic’s development and is delighted with the local reaction.

“A lady within the club, who is a parent of one of the lady members of the Camogie and Football team, she is involved with the carers: the Irish Family Carers Association,” O’Connor explains.

“Basically they normally have a 5k and a 10k around Roscommon at this time, but because of Covid they weren't able to have it. So we came up with a novel fundraiser to celebrate the launch of the pitches opening up.

“We have four senior teams Camogie, Ladies Football, Senior Hurlers, and Senior Football. The idea was that each adult senior team would score 1,000 points each. “The 4,000 points would equate to 4,000euro which was the target.”

That it tied in nicely with the re-opening of GAA playing facilities added to the excitement and sense of satisfaction.

“It is always great to exceed these quotas, it is at 5,900 now and it will probably hit 6,000 euro,” O’Connor adds.

“We are very happy with that, exceeding our expectations. It was two fold. The idea was to give something back to the frontline people looking after the less well off - the people that need care and families.

“My own dad ha dementia and the carers were very good to us when he was living with us at home. There aren't too many houses throughout any county that doesn't call on carers in some shape or form at some point in their lives.

“We just felt it was good to give something back to them, that was the train of thought behind the fundraiser.

“It kept the players giddy and enjoying each others company for the evening. It went on from around 6.30 until 9.30 before darkness fell around 10. It was a good bit of fun as well as everything else.”

St Dominic's willingness to assist those in the community mattered deeply with O’Connor acknowledging the work of those that made the venture a success.

“The likes of Sylvia Kilcline, who is the Club Chairperson put a lot of work into it, Stephen Murphy and people doing the social media side of it,” O’Connor stated.

“You have to do a lot of this stuff online so you have a lot of people working behind the scenes. It was co-ordinated by Sylvia Kilcline, the Club Chairperson, and they are really happy with the result.

“Bernie Dowling (Family Carers Ireland, Roscommon) has also expressed, through numerous forums, her thanks for the great efforts by all the people involved in it.”