All About Cork: Murphy’s marathon run for Marymount and his club

A Ballincollig man is running his ninth marathon next month, and he will be raising funds for two great local causes.

It will be the fifth time that Ballincollig AFC stalwart Gordon Murphy runs this year’s Manchester Marathon, and on April 27 he intends to harness his efforts to help both his club and Marymount University Hospital and Hospice.

“I have never raised funds for any of my marathons before but this year I really wanted to do something for two different causes which are close to my heart,” he told The Echo.

“Five years ago, in May, in the middle of the first covid lockdown, we lost our dear father Noel following a battle with COPD.”

Around that time, as a way of dealing with his dad’s illness, Mr Murphy took up endurance running, and during that time Marymount greatly helped his family.

“I don’t think there is a family in Cork which has not benefitted from the amazing services provided by Marymount,” he said.

“I felt Dad’s fifth anniversary was an appropriate occasion to raise funds as a way of saying thank you.”

The second beneficiary of his fundraising will be Ballincollig AFC, a club to which he has given four decades as a player, coach and administrator.

“Most recently I have been involved in negotiating the transfer of title to our property at the Landing Field to the club after a 20-year campaign,” he said.

As the club embarks upon a development of its clubhouse and dressing room facilities, Mr Murphy hopes his fundraiser will help to kickstart that campaign.

“As part of our development we will be calling upon Cork City Council to name the current access road to the Landing Field in memory our most famous graduate, the late Liam Miller,” he said.

“It is apt that the marathon I will be taking part in will commence in the shadow of Old Trafford, one of the grounds that Liam graced so well.”

For more information, see https://tinyurl.com/5ea87aub.

Garda coffee and cake

The annual Ballincollig An Garda Síochána charity coffee and cake morning will take place this week with all proceeds going to the Down Syndrome Cork Field of Dreams, which is located on the Clash Rd, and Ballincollig Family Resource Centre on Station Rd.

The event has been running for several years and Community Garda Anthony McSweeney told The Echo that local gardaí always look forward to it each year. The coffee and cake morning will take place in Ballincollig Garda Station, starting at 10.30am on Friday, March 14, and it will run until lunchtime.

“All are welcome, so please feel free to drop in to us for a cuppa and a slice of cake on Friday, and you’ll be able to help two fantastic local causes,” Garda McSweeney said.

Biodiversity hub official opening

Ballincollig’s new Cork Biodiversity Hub is set to be officially opened this morning by Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Dan Boyle at 11am.

The hub is located in the former Powdermills Visitor Centre building, and it has been spearheaded by Maria Young of Green Spaces for Health, along with Ballincollig residents Dr Mabel Hernandez and Eithne Lynch.

The Cork Biodiversity Hub has an ambitious programme of talks, workshops, tours, and events lined up for 2025. Its mission is to inspire a deeper connection with nature through accessible information, hands-on learning, and engaging activities for all. Rooted in science, the hub’s programmes will focus on biodiversity conservation, environmental restoration, and interdisciplinary learning.

Upcoming events at the hub include a presentation on composting by Donal O’Leary at 7.30pm on March 20, a talk on gardening for biodiversity by Rosemarie McDonald on March 27, and over the coming weeks further events will be announced.

Success for MTU Tae Kwon Do team in championships

Munster Technological University (MTU) Tae Kwon Do club members did well at the recent annual Intervarsity Tae Kwon Do championships. Competing against a high-calibre field at NUIG, MTU students delivered impressive performances, bringing home multiple medals.

Alex McCarthy, a fourth-year student, secured two gold medals in 2nd-3rd degree patterns and lightweight sparring.

Callum Lees, a second-year student won a bronze medal in 2nd-3rd degree patterns.

MTU coach and graduate Amy O’Sullivan claimed two gold medals.

MTU students David O’Donoghue, Julie Nugent, and Caolan Ward also competed in a challenging field, gaining invaluable experience for future competitions.

Alex McCarthy, Callum Lees, and David O’Donoghue have also qualified to represent Ireland at the ITF World Tae Kwon Do championships in Barcelona, from July 22 to 27.

Alex McCarthy said competing at the intervarsities and coming away with two gold medals was an incredible feeling.

“The level of competition was extremely high, making this result even more special. I’m honoured to qualify for the ITF World Championships and look forward to representing Ireland on the international stage,” he said.

Community safety meeting

The March meeting of the Ballincollig Garda Safety and Neighbourhood Watch will take place at 7pm on Tuesday, March 25, at the Carraig Centre, on the Old Fort Rd. Members of An Garda Síochána will be in attendance on the night, as well as representatives from other agencies. All are welcome to attend.

Pyke Theatre Group meeting

This evening, Tuesday, March 11, at 8.30pm, the Pyke Theatre Group is holding its monthly social evening in Ballincollig Rugby Club in Tanner Park, as it does on the second Tuesday of every month from September to May.

The social evening a great night’s entertainment, with music, song and dance, and all free of charge. If you would like to become a member of the group, email pyketheatre@gmail.com for further information, or check out Pyke Theatre Group on Facebook.

GAA Club weekly lottery

The numbers drawn in the Ballincollig GAA Club lottery, held on Thursday, March 6, were 12, 14, 17, and 29. There was no winner of the €8,600 jackpot, there were three consolation prize winners, with €100 going to Cormac Crotty, €50 to Dominic Twomey, and €50 to Deirdre Wyllie.

The club is migrating its club lottery from its previous host to its club platform ClubZap. The new system mirrors the previous one and is played with 36 numbers, and all existing players with remaining credit have been moved across with their same numbers plus their remaining credits. For further information, see ballincolliggaa.clubzap.com.

The next draw is scheduled to place on Thursday, March 13, with the jackpot at €8,800. For details, see the club’s social media pages.

Have Ballincollig news to share? Contact donal.okeeffe@theecho.ie