PICTURES: 90th birthday party with a difference for Cliona’s Foundation in Limerick

IN THIS helter-skelter world it can be difficult to find time for friends and relations with the years often passing in the blink of an eye.

But mother and daughter,  Anna and Niamh Gleeson found the time - 90 years to be precise!

Niamh, of Kilteely, said: “My mam turned 60 and I turned 30, so we had a 90th birthday party in Bruff Rugby Club and invited everyone.”

The seed for the idea was planted during a chance conversation between Niamh and her aunt, Doris O’Neill, at a funeral last year.

“We were saying we only ever meet relations at funerals, weddings, christenings - the big events - and with Covid nobody saw anyone for years. I said to mam, ‘We both have big birthdays next year so let’s have a joint one’,” smiled Niamh.

As she is tighthead prop with Bruff’s senior women’s rugby team, the clubhouse in Kilballyowen was an obvious choice and a scrum of people showed up.

“It was all relations and friends. A bunch of my college friends and teammates arrived. There were people from all over, mam and dad's friends, people I would've known growing up.

“There were people I don't meet up with that often because people are busy and you don't run into them. It was brilliant to see everyone and it felt great to be able to go around to all the different people and say, ‘Thanks for coming’,” said Niamh, who has three brothers - Brendan, Philip and Daniel.

Niamh recalled when their dad Mike had a birthday party in The Idler Bar in Knockane a few years ago he brought along buckets for Cliona’s Foundation.

“Mam said ‘let’s get onto Cliona’s Foundation’ and we asked people to give them a donation instead of giving us a present or money in a card.

“They're paying to support parents with very ill children, which has a lot more meaning to it,” said Niamh

Between cash donations, attendees ‘tapping’ their cards or phones, and Revolut, a total of over €1,400 was raised from the 90th birthday bash.

“I just want to thank everybody who gave up their time to come along to make it such an enjoyable night and for supporting Cliona’s Foundation who do incredibly important charity work,” said Niamh. 

Roll on the mum and daughter’s “100th birthday” in five years time!

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