UH/1209

Omagh support and Self Help Group receives a Donation of £20,000
BY: JUDITH CUMMINGS

KNOWN within sport as a 'generous bunch' the greyhound-fraternity ran true to form as on Tuesday of this week Michael Gallagher and Lawrence Rush of the Omagh Support and Self Help Group received £20,000, raised during one evening at Shelbourne Park Greyhound Racing in Dublin.
This unique event was held at the beginning of December and was the brainchild of Cathal Curley, a director of Shelbourne Park, originally from Irvinestown, but who had began married life in Omagh and has family in the town, including his sister Mary McBride, of the Clock Bar where the presentation took place.
Cathal, like many, felt the need to do something positive for those affected by the August bombing, and with the help of Noel Hinds, Managing Director of Shelbourne Park, Dublin and Pat O'Donovan its Commercial Director, set about staging a fundraising event.
A ten race programme was decided upon, with six dogs entering each race. The board of Shelbourne Park then contacted ten Dublin companies to sponsor each race at £1000, and then sixty individuals to sponsor the sixty dogs that would be competing, at £100.
Speaking on Tuesday, Cathal said that an indication of the depth of feeling evoked by the Omagh bomb was the fact that at no stage did anyone refuse to help in any way that they could.
Along with the sponsorship and money raised through gate proceedings and the selling of advertising space in the printed programme the total sum was £19000, Shelbourne Park itself rounded the figure up to £20000.
Cathal and his colleagues decided to donate the money to the Omagh Support and Self Help Group, chaired by Michael Gallagher, with Stanley McCombe as vice chairman and Lawrence Rush as treasurer, all of whom lost members of their families in the bomb.
The group, set up shortly after the events of August, is in existence to help and protect those most seriously affected by the Omagh bomb, whether they were bereaved or badly injured.
The money will help the group achieve their goal of a base, an office to work from and will go towards the continuing work of gaining help for those bereaved and maimed by the events of August 15th, an aim which goes hand in hand with the groups battle to save the Tyrone County Hospital, so that people who need ongoing care and rehabilitation can receive it locally.
Speaking on Tuesday Lawrence Rush expressed his thanks to Cathal and the people of Dublin, "A response like yours, gives us heart and hope. This gesture by yourself, directors, workers, auxiliary staff and the people of Dublin speaks for itself. This is hands and hearts across the border".