All About Cork: Tractor and truck run raises over €22k for cancer charities

A tractor and truck run in memory of a young man taken far too soon, has so far this Christmas raised more than €22,500 in aid of local cancer charities.

Now in its second year, the Light Up for Cancer Curraheen Christmas Truck and Tractor Run, in memory of the late Darragh Ryan, took place on Sunday, December 21.

Darragh was 23 years of age and in his final year of college, studying politics, physiology, law, and economics at the University of Amsterdam, when he was diagnosed with a rare and incurable form of liposarcoma cancer in May of 2022.

Darragh married his beloved Christina in Lelystad, Amsterdam, in a ceremony before close friends and family, in August, 2022. He passed away on December 20, 2022.

During the eight months that he was ill, Darragh’s family became acutely aware of the work of organisations such as Breakthrough Cancer Research, and were grateful for the help of Cork ARC Cancer Support House.

Wanting to raise funds for those charities in Darragh’s name, his family hit upon the idea of a tractor run, setting an initial fundraising target of €15,000, little expecting how successful the venture would ultimately prove.

Last year’s tractor run eventually raised more than twice that amount, and in February Darragh’s family presented matching cheques for €15,545 each to Breakthrough Cancer Research and Cork ARC Cancer Support House.

This year’s run was delayed slightly by a bereavement, but it went ahead on the Sunday before Christmas, just a day after Darragh’s anniversary. Despite bad weather conditions, the event saw more than 230 vehicles participate in an after-dark parade through Ballincollig.

Darragh’s mother, Ramona, said the family would be forever grateful to all of the volunteers who had worked to make the event a success, and without whom the event would not have gone ahead.

“From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to thank everyone who played a part in making the Curraheen Christmas Run such a wonderful success,” she said.

“Thank you to everyone who helped out on the day, to all the participants who took part, and to the spectators who came out to support us. A special word of thanks to the fantastic community of Ballincollig for the warm welcome, encouragement, and support throughout.

“We are incredibly grateful to Curraheen Park Greyhound Stadium for the use of their facilities and for their ongoing support, and to Two Wheel Training for providing their facilities for refreshments.”

So far, the tractor run has raised more than €22,500, and Darragh’s family intends to let the GoFundMe page - tinyurl.com/39uv267v - open a while longer.

All of the monies raised will go to Breakthrough Cancer Research and Cork ARC Cancer Support House.

Record numbers at Parkrun

The seventh Christmas Day Ballincollig Parkrun, which was held in the Regional Park, saw a record 520 people in attendance.

Every weekend, hundreds of people turn out for the Ballincollig Parkrun, and organisers are always on the lookout for volunteers to help out as the weekly event continues to grow and grow.

The Ballincollig Parkrun is a weekly, timed, five kilometre run organised by local volunteers.

The parkrun website, www.parkrun.ie/ballincollig, says volunteering at parkrun offers a great opportunity to get outside, to make new friends, to have fun, to learn new skills and to be a valuable part of your local community on a weekly basis.

“Ballincollig Parkrun happens largely because of our fantastic volunteers, who are almost all regular runners like you,” it says.

“The weekly team of volunteers are led by a small group of enthusiasts who form what we call the ‘core team’.”

If you would like to take part or get involved as a volunteer in Ballincollig Parkrun, you can email ballincollig@parkrun.com.

Please be sure to include your name and contact number and to mention the role in which you would like to participate.

Charity marathon spots

Carrigrohane-based national charity Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026.

In June 1976, the charity – initially called the Irish Guide Dogs Association – was founded by South Mall native Mary Dunlop (nee Hobart) and Cork businessman Jim Dennehy. Ms Dunlop had long campaigned for the British Guide Dogs for the Blind charity and was involved with the National Council for the Blind of Ireland, while Mr Dennehy had lost his sight in a sporting accident.

In 1980, the charity opened its Model Farm Rd premises.

As part of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind’s 50th birthday celebrations, the charity has 50 places across the three races taking place in the Cork City Marathon on May 31.

To participate in the race in aid of Irish Guide Dogs, you will need to meet the following fundraising targets. For the full marathon, the target is €1,000, for the half marathon, it’s €700, and for the 10k it’s €400.

For further information, see guidedogs.ie.

Acts announced for Winter Music Festival

The first acts have been announced for the 16th annual Ballincollig Winter Music Festival, which runs in The White Horse from Monday, January 26, to Sunday, February 1.

The festival kicks off with a comedy night with Chris Kent and friends, which has sold out.

Tuesday 27 will feature an Oíche Scoraíochta — a free night of stories, song, and dance with Fear an Tí Dick Beamish offering a celebration of stories and lore, idir Gaeilge agus Béarla, in the tradition of the Rambling House. Doors open at 7pm, with the first contribution at 7.30pm.

Wednesday night’s ticketed headline event features RTÉ Choice Prize nominee Niamh Regan. First gaining attention with her 2020 debut Hemet, she has supported artists including CMAT, Villagers, John Grant, SOAK, Patrick Watson, James Vincent McMorrow, and Sam Amidon. Her 2024 album Come As You Are has confirmed her as a singular voice in contemporary Irish music.

Thursday evening will headline Notes from the Earth, featuring Mary Reynolds, Edwina Guckian, Colm O’Regan, Alannah Thornburg, and Diarmuid Ó Meachair. The event is billed as “a thoughtful, multidisciplinary gathering — inviting reflection, inspiration, and renewed connection with the natural world”.

Friday night’s gig presents Pilgrims, featuring Paul Noonan and Brian Crosby, who are — respectively — currently and formerly of Bell XI. Two musicians whose creative paths first intertwined in their school days, their debut single Bright & Bold is available now, with a full album set for release on January 30.

Saturday features Notes from the Margins, a reading series bringing together writers and artists that give a voice to those on the margins of society, featuring Nashwa Nasreldin, Somaia Abu Nada, James Leonard, Barry Kerr, Martin Leahy, and Batool Abu Akleen.

Saturday night will feature Scullion, with very special guest Inni-K.

Revered and feted as one of Ireland’s most innovative, original and brilliant live bands, Scullion features the talents of Sonny Condell of Tír na nÓg, Philip King, and Robbie Overson. Their legacy continues to resonate with new generations, underpinned by a rich back catalogue that captures decades of creative excellence.

Inni-K is Eithne Ní Chatháin, singer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and songwriter, whose music draws from her extensive background in sean-nós and traditional Irish music, even as she ventures into new musical territories.

Sunday’s gig, featuring multi-instrumentalist singer and songwriter Lisa Hannigan, is already sold out. It is hard to credit that her solo musical career has already spanned 18 years, but she released her debut album, Sea Sew, which earned her nominations for a Choice award in Ireland and a Mercury Music Prize in the UK, in 2008. Since then, she has released Passenger (2011) and At Swim (2016) to huge critical acclaim in Ireland and the United States.

The Ballincollig Winter Music Festival is supported by the Arts Council.

• For booking information, see whitehorse.ie