Keano offers helping hand to Mayfield teen following horror spine injury

ROY KEANE, Rob Heffernan, and Valerie Mulcahy are among a host of stars taking part in a fundraiser for 19-year-old Jack O’Driscoll from Mayfield who suffered life-changing spine injuries during snow storms last March.

Jack, who is a keen sportsman, interested in GAA and soccer, crushed his C5 vertebrae in a fall during Storm Emma, losing movement in his legs and torso.

He is currently staying at the National Rehabilitation Centre in Dun Laoghaire but hopes to return home to Cork in the coming weeks.

The star-studded line-up for ‘An Evening with Cork Sporting Stars’ includes Cork hurler Donal Óg Cusack, Irish hockey player Yvonne O’Byrne, Kerry footballer Tomas Ó Sé and Jamie Wall, a former Cork GAA player who suffered an infection in his spine that lost his movement in his legs.

The sporting heroes will be quizzed by RTÉ pundit Ger Canning, in what is sure to be an entertaining and inspirational event.

The evening of sporting banter kicks off at 7.45pm on Monday, November 5 at the conference centre at the Clayton Silversprings Hotel, Tivoli.

One thousand tickets are being sold for the event that organiser Kevin Walsh said is sure to be a sell-out.

“I think Roy will be a massive draw. He is from Mayfield himself and he always has plenty to say at the best of times.

“I think it will be an informal discussion between the stars and Ger Canning and there will be an opportunity for the audience to ask questions, either from a roaming microphone or a question box being handed around.”

The event has been organised by the Jack O’Driscoll fund which is made up of eight people who have put together a number of events to raise money for Jack.

“A lot of work goes into each event,” Kevin said. “Our chairperson Pat Peate is fantastic, the work he is putting in is phenomenal.”

Mr Walsh said they had raised well over €300,000 so far for the Jack O’Driscoll fund and they were delighted with the support they had received from across the county and country.

“We organised a golf tournament a few weeks ago and there were people travelling up from Durrus in West Cork to take part. It has been great. We just want to thank everyone who has supported Jack and hope that people continue to donate and support this worthy cause.

“The more money we raise, the better medical care Jack will have.”

Tickets are €40 and available on Tickets.ie and all Centra and Supervalu stores.

For more information about the Jack O’Driscoll fund, log onto www.jackodriscoll.com, Facebook: The Jack O’Driscoll Fund, Twitter: @Jack_fund or email jackod.fund@gmail.com.