Former Cork and Kerry players come together to support Féile O'Sullivan

A Stand for Féile fundraising campaign has been launched at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

A community-led initiative supported by a group of former Cork and Kerry inter-county players have come together to launch a two-day Golf Classic at Kenmare Golf Club next April on the 17th and 18th for a young girl from West Cork who lost both legs in a devastating farm accident in early July.

Féile O'Sullivan, from Allihies on the Beara Peninsula, also suffered severe lower abdominal injuries and has undergone several operations.

The chairperson of the committee for this Golf Classic is former Cork footballer Barry Coffey, a winner of two All-Ireland medals during a successful senior career with the Rebels. 

The Bishopstown native, who is now living in Ovens, is more than happy to play his part in helping the fundraising efforts.

“I had seen the work that Garnish GAA had done and the organising committee they have put together,” he says to The Echo.

“From travelling down to Kerry, where I frequent quite often, I just said, ‘I think we can do something to help’. I spoke with Ollie Rue O’Sullivan about running a Golf Classic in Kenmare, a central location really.

“The whole idea is to involve as many GAA people as we possibly can over a two-day period next year to see how much money we could raise as a collective group.

“I put together a group of primarily former players that I had played with, contacted some of our contacts in Kerry to see if they would join. We have put together a hard-working group that are willing to put some time and effort into making this Golf Classic work.

“We’d be a tight bunch anyway from our playing days. It was easy enough, in fairness, for them to come on board and give a hand out.

“This was only set up a couple of weeks ago. The feedback we have received so far has been brilliant. We are all working for the same goal.

“It was great to get Colm Cooper and Tomás Ó Sé on board with us to try and promote the event.

“We already have the bones of 20 teams on the timesheet. The Cork County Board, in fairness, have been very helpful in pushing it out to the clubs. I do anticipate a full timesheet. There’s a lot of demand for this event.”

Entry fee is €500 per team of four. The first prize is All-Ireland final tickets with two for each team member.

The goal is to bring together more than 100 teams from both Cork and Kerry.

More information on this very worthy Golf Classic can be found on www.gaacork.ie/stand4feile.