The Hurling for Hope fundraising initiative, which is the brainchild of Keith Higgins and some of his friends from Ballyhaunis GAA, has been doing great work in recent weeks. Already they’ve raised over €68,000 for the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association and the Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation and this morning they’re setting off from Castlebar on their main fundraising event.
The event involves soloing a hurling ball all the way from the Mayo Roscommon Hospice in Castlebar to its sister facility in Roscommon, 100km away. Today is Day One of the event, which will see the participants leaving Castlebar around 10am and heading via Breaffy and Balla onto Claremorris. Tomorrow they’ll continue on as far as Ballyhaunis, on Friday they’ll head for Castlerea and then on Saturday the event finishes at Roscommon.
Fair play to them, they picked the perfect week for it too, in light of the fine settled weather we’re currently enjoying. If ever a cause deserved such weather, then this is it.
More details on Hurling for Hope and how to make a donation to it are here.
The best of luck to Keith and the other Hurling for Hope participants as they embark on this extremely worthwhile initiative this morning.
https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22075573/
A great interview by Pierce’s wife and Keith on Miriam O’Callaghan last Sunday. Hugely impressed
Christ pretty sure I remember pierce Higgins from underage days , Ballyhaunis had a lovely side with him, Derek Walshe , Simon Webb . Could be wrong but think they won county title one year perhaps under 14 or 16 . All the best with this , very sad to read circumstances.
Fair play to the lads, a massively worthy cause. A close relative of mine has Motor Neurone disease and its absolutely heart-breaking stuff, the fittest and strongest of men can waste away in a matter of months due to it.
I have made a contribution and would hope anyone with a few spare pennies would do the same.
It is a commendable initiative by Keith and his friends. MND is a cruel illness with no known cause and no known cure. The only way to ultimately solve the riddle is medical research.
Thanks for that link Oilean Acla, I’ve sent that to my wife who is really interested.
I was on the road Sunday a m and normally wouldn’t tune in to Miriam, but when I heard who was on the show, I had to listen in.
It was such a compelling story and what Pierce Higgins and his family has/is going through is just heartbreaking. I was totally moved by the whole story.
Good luck to the legend Keith Higgins, and the Hurling for Hope crew.
I always remember meeting Keith Higgins in Galway just after that crazy 2014 replay v Kerry in Limerick, and Keith was so friendly and giving of his time with myself and my son, signing autographs etc and not showing much after effects from that psychotic game!
Total pro and gentleman is Keith.
Best of luck to them all. A great cause. Heard the interview Sunday morning. They were brilliant and it was a really touching and sad story.
Great