Brothers complete lap of every Tipperary GAA pitch as part of fundraiser
The O’Neill brothers ran a lap of every GAA pitch in Tipperary to raise funds for Milford Care Centre, raising over €100,000 in the process
Three brothers from Tipperary have successfully completed a major fundraising challenge at the end of October.
Mark, Paul and Eoin O’Neill, from Cloughjordan, set themselves the challenge of running a lap around every GAA pitch in Tipperary.
The drive came as an effort to raise funds for the Milford Care Centre, which holds a dear place in their hearts.
In December last year, the three brothers, and their father Michael, lost their mother Margaret to cancer, at the age of 54.
Whilst under the care of the Milford staff, the boys say she was treated with the utmost dignity and respect, and that she was given ample space to feel comfortable and at peace, which the brothers say meant the world to them.
To give something back to the staff and the centre, they set themselves this challenge, in which they hope to raise vital funding for the centre, to ensure that similar levels of care can be maintained while other families go through similar experiences with their loved ones.
Speaking after the conclusion, the brothers posted on social media, saying: “What an incredible journey over the past weeks and months. We made the promise to Mam that a fundraiser would be held in her memory. We never imagined that it would have led to this. Hospice care is something that hits many families, and everybody's story is unique- some good and some not so good.
“We heard from many people who have experienced the care of the hospice as patients and came out the other side, which is remarkable.
“Each and every club across the county were so welcoming throughout the weekend. To see faces both familiar and unfamiliar was a serious boost for us. We are so grateful for the lengths that clubs and local businesses went to in providing refreshments. The spirit of the GAA community is something to behold.
“To all behind the scenes- our sponsor Willowbrook B&B, the Horse & Jockey for providing accommodation, Paddy White for sponsoring fuel, Chloe on social media, the O'Neill & Teehan Families and the backing from our club, Kilruane MacDonaghs. To the volunteers in Kilruane GAA field for organising the final lap & Gary for concluding the night in The Clough Inn. The support you all have given has been phenomenal and will never be forgotten. Thank you all.
“To all who donated and helped us raise over €110,000 for Milford Care Centre, thank you. It's a privilege to hand over this money to a wonderful cause in honour of Mam.
“A final update will be provided in the coming weeks for financial clarity when a cheque will be presented to Milford.”
Donations have continued to flood in even after the completion of the run, with almost €115,000 raised at the time of writing.
Donations can be made through their iDonate page, a link of which can be found on their Instagram page, @runalapformilford.
The brothers would like to thank everyone who has supported them so far for helping them in carrying out the fundraiser.