Sponsored mountain climb to take place in aid of Defence Forces veterans

A SPONSORED climb of Ireland’s highest mountain will attempt to raise funds to help veterans of the Defence Forces who have fallen on hard times.

Every year for the past decade or so, the volunteers at Cork Penny Dinners have held a memorial walk in memory of John Cunningham, raising funds for good causes in his name.

Mr Cunningham was a kind, jovial man who died in 2005 at the tragically young age of 39.

Every year since his passing, his friends have remembered him by raising money for charity in his name.

Penny Dinners volunteer Dave Feeney is a stalwart of the memorial walk, and this year he and his fellow volunteers will climb Ireland’s highest mountain, Carrauntoohil, to raise funds for the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel (One).

“We’re up and down Carrauntoohil three and four times a year with different groups, raising money for cancer, and sepsis, and suicide awareness and prevention is probably the main one,” said Mr Feeney.

Caitríona Twomey of Penny Dinners added: “They did one for Cork City Missing Persons, and the one they did for Penny Dinners was really brilliant, and they just keep it up every year.”

Paddy Mulley, secretary of the southern area council of One and secretary of the Cork branch of One, said the veterans’ organisation was extremely grateful to Mr Feeney and all at Penny Dinners for their support.

“We really appreciate the lads’ kindness, and all money raised will go toward the new home for homeless veterans in St Luke’s that we’re in the process of getting ready,” said Mr Mulley.

“We’re just navigating our way through the red tape, and there’s a lot of it, but we’re getting through it and we would hope to have a builder appointed by August or September.”

Mr Mulley said that each of the six rooms in the new home would cost €3,000 to furnish.

One’s national president Diarmuid Higgins said that, when completed, the home would be open seven days a week and would serve as “a home from home” for Defence Forces veterans who had fallen on hard times.

If you would like to support Dave Feeney and his fellow Cork Penny Dinners volunteers on their fundraising climb of Carrauntoohil for One, call Dave on 085 8612906, or call into the One veterans’ building across the road from Collins’ Barracks.