Breege’s Bus to be unveiled on Sunday in north Longford village

From 5pm, there will be a traditional music session in Farrell’s Bar, Ballinalee, featuring Noel Sweeney champion flute player and Bernie Connolly champion accordion player with many other local musicians.

Breege was born in Gelsha, Ballinalee in 1957 and at birth had some loss of hearing and some loss of vision. In 1980, Breege married Tom O’Neill, a Mayo man who himself was visually impaired.

They lived in Balbriggan, Co Dublin, with their daughter Laura and son Eoin. They had five grandchildren, one Gemma, who has sadly passed away.

Breege got her first guide dog in 1991, Gypsy, and over her lifetime had three more guide dogs. She worked all her life as a Civil Servant, mostly in Revenue in Dublin and retired in 2012.

The plan was to retire to Ballinalee where the couple have a holiday home, but circumstances changed that plan. In 2016 Breege was diagnosed with cancer and she passed away in June of 2021.

When the students are training with their guide dogs in Cork, they use what is known as the students bus for getting to and from different training places.

One day it might be a housing estate with cars on footpaths and bins on the path. Another day it might be Cork city centre and always this bus is used for the students.

During training with her last guide dog, Qeb, in October of 2019 at Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind Cork, Breege came home unhappy with the bus that was used as it was 20 years old and, in her words, not up to standard.

So that Christmas Breege and her husband Tom set about fundraising to replace that bus. €15,000 was raised and then Covid hit and Breege’s health declined. After she passed away in June of 2021 Tom and the family decided to restart the project and on Sunday, August 20 people will see the Renault Master bus at Farrell's car park beside the pub.

On Saturday, August 26 at the Open Day for all friends of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind the bus will be dedicated to Breege and from there on to all will be known as Breege’s Bus.

Mary Farrell of Farrell's pub, Ballinalee is a sister of the late Breege and her brother Sean Reilly of Gelsha, her only other sibling, died in a farm accident in September 2016.

Breege’s husband Tom explained, “Sunday will mark the handover of a Renault Master van purchased from O’Reilly’s garage of Longford and many thanks to Kevin O’Reilly.

“The Renault Master was converted into an 8-seater fully accessible including a lift minibus by Kelly’s of Santry, Dublin who specialise in this work. A fantastic job was done by the team. Thanks to Warren, and Mick, for the wonderful work.

“The bus was then wrapped by WrapCo of Dunshaughlin, Meath featuring pictures of Breege at different stages in her life with her four guide dogs, Gypsy, Abby, Unice and Qeb.”

Representatives of WrapCo, Kelly’s and O’Reilly’s will be on hand for the handover of the bus to Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.
On the evening in Ballinalee should somebody wish to donate to the work of Irish Guide Dogs for the blind or towards the cost of Breege’s Bus appropriate sealed buckets will be available.