Tipp-born priest leads cycle
A charity set up to support farm families experiencing loss as a result of farm accidents, sudden traumas and suicide is to benefit from a charity cycle taking place on July 25-26.
The event was first mooted by Fr Tomás O’Connell, Parish Priest of Pallasgreen/Templebraden, who wanted to organise a charity event marking a milestone birthday this year. The idea mushroomed and now he and nine other cyclists, including a number from Tipperary, who will take on the 179km Ring of Kerry in late July.
The participants are Ray Kennedy, Annacarty, who, like Fr Tomás is a Killenaule native, Dick Ryan, New Pallas, a Clonoulty native, Jack O’Dwyer, New Pallas, Mick O’Connell, Knockane, Maurice Barrett, Old Pallas, John Butler, Templebraden, Justin Phelan, Nicker, a Cashel native, and his son Pádraic, Noel Buckley, Clonmel, a native of Holycross.
The charity to benefit is Embrace FARM, established in 2014 by Brian and Norma Rohan of Shanahoe, Abbeyleix following the death of Brian's father Liam on their family farm in 2012. It was felt that there was no support to help families like theirs in the aftermath of a farm accident.
Embrace FARM is based in Annegrove House, Mountrath, Co Laois and now offers a range of supports to farm families including children/young people who have been bereaved as a result of a farm accident or trauma or seriously injured as a result of an accident.
The charity holds a Remembrance Service every year on the last Sunday in June in Abbeyleix church, acknowledging all those who have lost their lives on farms across the island of Ireland, so that families know that they are not alone in their journey of grief and loss. Families get to meet one another, to chat, build friendships and help each other in the grief process.
The organisation is supported by IFAC, agriculture focused solicitors and consultants and the HSE office of suicide prevention. Full details of its services can be found on www.embracefarm.com.
The cyclists are paying their own expenses and have been supported by the local community, and sincere thanks to those who have helped out in any way thus far. Eilish Phelan will travel with the cyclists as a team support over the two days. Personalised T-shirts for the cyclists were kindly sponsored by O’Dwyer Oil Products, Old Pallas.
Many of the cyclists are from farming backgrounds and are well aware of the importance of farm safety on the family farm, and the significance of Embrace FARM to farm families unfortunate enough to experience accidental death or serious injury on the farm. One of the cyclist’s Noel Buckley is a survivor of a farm accident himself having fallen off a ladder whilst working on a shed some years ago and thankfully suffered only a broken leg.
Fr Tomás, a past member of Macra na Feirme, has ministered in Thurles parish, Loughmore/Castleiney, and a very brief spell in Knockainey/Patrickswell and since last August in Pallasgreen/Templebraden, and is hoping for good support from those places, and indeed too from his native parish of Killenaule/Moyglass.
The group has set up a GoFundMe page, Fr Tomás & Friends’ Ring of Kerry cycle 2022. Donations can be made to any of the participants, or by post to Fr Tomás at the Parochial House, Pallasgreen, Co Limerick (Eircode V94 K7V7). We are very grateful to those who have already given. Over €3,000 already been donated by July 13.
Prior to the cyclists departure for Kerry, a short Remembrance Service will take place at the grotto at Nicker Church (V94 WK16) on Saturday, July 23, at 8pm during which the names of those in Counties Limerick and Tipperary who died in farm accidents will be remembered. All are welcome.