All About Cork: On your bike for Ballincollig school fundraiser

Na Phréacháin MCC run for Lady of Good Counsel NS

A Ballincollig motorcycle club will this weekend embark on a charity run to Killarney to help a local national school which does great work with children who have additional needs.

This year’s Na Préacháin MCC Spraoi Run will head out for Kerry on Sunday, May 26, but the day before, Saturday May 25 the will be holding a collection day at Castle West Shopping Centre, with everything they raise going to Our Lady of Good Counsel NS.

Kieran Collins told The Echo this would be the second year the club, which is in its third year would be doing a fundraising run for Our Lady of Good Counsel.

“We’re a motorcycle club that holds a lot of values dear, like brotherhood and loyalty and friendship, we help one another out, as often as possible, and we do a bit of undercover charity as well, as Na Préacháin well,” Mr Collins said.

“Maybe 10 months of the year we do ride-outs every Wednesday night, weather permitting, we call it a chipper run, we go to a chipper of choice, anywhere from Cork to Dungarvan, or Cork to Clonakilty."

It’s two or three hours of an evening for guys to get out, and a lot of it is to do with mental health, primarily the conversation is around bikes, but there’s other stuff goes on as well.” 

Last year, Na Préacháin raised €15,500 for Our Lady of Good Counsel and are hoping to do as well this year. of Na Préacháin MCC will be collecting at the Castle West Shopping Centre from 10am this Saturday, and donations can also be made to a fundraiser for new outdoor fitness equipment for Our Lady of Good Counsel on gofundme.com.

The Sproai Run will leave Our Lady of Good Counsel at 10.30am sharp on Sunday, May 26, with booking from 9.30am. There will be a fundraising raffle on the day, with an entry fee of €10 per bike.

Murray poetry collection

Ballincollig-born poet Emma Murray has released her new poetry collection, Days of Covid, which features a compilation of 25 light-hearted and humorous poems.

“I wrote it while spending days endlessly walking around the green fields of Cork with my beloved dog Leia while the country was under national lockdown.

“Created through frustration, disbelief and absolute boredom, it’s a memoir so we never forget what we endured and came through,” Ms Murray said.

She plans on donating copies to Cork City Library so the book will be available free to anyone who would like to read it.

It is also available on Amazon and in store at O’Donovan’s, Leemount Cross.

Researching your family history

The Inniscarra Historical Society will hold a genealogy workshop entitled “Researching Your Family History” in July, promising it will be “an enriching experience”.

“Embark on a journey through time with our workshop on researching your family tree,” the society’s notice says. “Learn the art of tracing ancestry, uncovering hidden stories and connecting with their heritage. Whether you’re a novice genealogist or seasoned historian, us for an experience of self-discovery.”

The workshop will take place at Cloghroe National School, Cloghroe T23 AH2R and will run from 7pm to 9pm on Monday, July 1. Booking is €10 per person, and spaces are limited to 24, so advance booking is essential. For more information, call 089 2479743.

Later in the year, Inniscarra Historical Society intends to run an event for Heritage week, which will run from Saturday, August 17 to Saturday, August 24.

Fun Run for Farran School in Farran Forest Park

A 5KM Fun Run (or walk) in aid of Farran School Parents Association will take place at 7pm on Thursday, June 6, in Farran Forest Park. Registration will be from 6pm and pre-registration will be at the school again this year.

The Fun Run, which is now in its third year has had great turn-outs over the past two years and the parents’ association is hoping it will be even better this year. The event will be a timed run with shorter, 3km option for shorter legs and walkers, and medals for the first, second, and third male and female over- and under-13.

There will be medals and refreshments after the race, and the entry fee will be €20 per family, €10 per adult, and €5 per child.

Networking @ Noon

Ballincollig Business Association will be hosting its Networking @ Noon event at midday next Tuesday, May 28, in the Oriel House Hotel. The event will run for two hours, and will feature a sustainability discussion with Ballincollig Tidy Towns chair Tom Butler and Ivan McCutcheon from the Cork City Local Enterprise Office. Refreshments will be served and spot prizes will be on offer at the event.

The Networking @ Noon event is free, and to , email: @ballincollig.ie.

Guide Dog Day

Carrigrohane-based charity Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind will hold its fundraising Guide Dog Day this Friday, May 24, and of the charity will be collecting across Cork city.

In Ballincollig, the charity will be collecting at Quish’s SuperValu in the West Village and at the Ballincollig Shopping Centre on Friday, May 24. 

On Sunday, May 26, celebrate Guide Dog Day with a 5k walk at 11am at the Inniscara entrance of Ballincollig Regional Park.

Comedy Club tomorrow

The White Horse Comedy Club returns tomorrow at 8pm on Wednesday, May 22, in Ballincollig’s West Village, with host and MC Chris Kent ed by special guests Danny O’Brien and Brian Gallagher.

Danny O’Brien has been performing stand-up comedy for over 14 years, headlining regularly at top comedy clubs and festivals.

Brian Gallagher is a rising star of Irish comedy. 

He has had three sold-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe, performed on both RTÉ and Virgin Media and is the resident MC of Ireland’s biggest comedy club, The Laughter Lounge.

Further details and booking at: whitehorse.ie.

GAA Club weekly lottery

The numbers drawn in the weekly Ballincollig GAA Club lottery on Thursday, May 16, were: 11, 21, 27, and 32. With a lottery jackpot of €20,000, the draw is now at the highest amount it can reach. There was no jackpot winner drawn last week, and consolation prizes went to Betty O’Callaghan (€100), Seamus O’Brien (€50), and Karen Buckley (€50). 

The next draw will take place this week, on Thursday, May 23. For details on how to enter the draw, see the club’s social media pages.

Have Ballincollig news you wish to share?  Donal O'Keeffe.