The fierce rivalry between the hurlers of Tooreen and Ballyhaunis was put on temporary hold this week as the Ave Maria Nursing Home in Tooreen hosted a jersey day for its residents and made a donation to the Hurling for Hope fundraiser.
Hurling for Hope, which is being organised by Ballyhaunis GAA Club and fronted by Mayo star Keith Higgins is generating funds in aid of the Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation and the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association.
The fundraiser will see Keith, alongside several of his club and county teammates, solo a sliothar over a distance of 100KM between the Mayo Roscommon Hospices in Castlebar and Roscommon Town, taking in the towns of Claremorris, Ballyhaunis and Castlerea along the route.
The journey begins on Wednesday, March 23rd and will conclude on Saturday, March 26th. Last Thursday afternoon, the Ave Maria Nursing Home hosted a jersey day for its residents. They donned the green and red – or Sligo’s black and white, in a few cases – to show their support for Hurling for Hope, as owners and operators Tommy and Ann Feeney made a generous donation of €1,000 to the cause.
There on the day for the cheque presentation were Pete and Kay Higgins, the parents of Keith and Pierce Higgins, the latter a former Mayo and Ballyhaunis hurler who is currently battling Motor Neuron Disease. Frank Browne, the former Mayo hurling manager who is serving as one of the key organisers of the Hurling for Hope project, was also in attendance.
“We got massive support from the GAA community and it’s particularly fitting to be in Tooreen for a Ballyhaunis initiative, because the rivalry on the pitch is so huge but that’s matched by the respect the communities have for each other. Everybody is rallying in behind it,” said Frank. “The support that Keith and Pierce and Claire have felt since they came out and told their story, and not just the financial support, but the outpouring of people offering their help, has been huge. “There probably isn’t a family in the country that hasn’t needed the services of palliative care or cancer support or Motor Neuron care. Our goal at the end of the day is to raise funds because these services are ultimately dependent on charitable donations,” he continued.
Kenny Feeney, a team-mate of Keith and Pierce Higgins on the Mayo Hurling team and the son of Tommy & Ann, said staff and residents of Ave Maria were delighted to show their support for the Hurling for Hope project. “We came up the idea of having a jersey day. It’s such a good cause and we just wanted to do our little bit for it,” said Kenny. “It’s a cause close to the hearts of everyone in Mayo hurling, whether you’re from Tooreen, Ballyhaunis, Castlebar, Westport or anywhere. People all over the country are affected by this and it’s difficult for every family. “I would have played with Keith and Pierce and against them, my dad is good friends with their dad Pete, so it resonates very close to home and we just wanted to throw our support behind it”.