Clonoulty Rossmore Vintage Club to host virtual fundraiser in aid of South Tipperary Hospice Movement

2001 committee: Back: Jim Mulhall, Denis Ryan, Liam O'Dwyer, Joe O'Keeffe. Front row: Judy Hayes, Paddy Heffernan, Martin Bergin, IVETA chairman Paddy Kelly

placeholder image — 2001 committee: Back: Jim Mulhall, Denis Ryan, Liam O'Dwyer, Joe O'Keeffe. Front row: Judy Hayes, Paddy Heffernan, Martin Bergin, IVETA chairman Paddy Kelly

A brief history of Clonoulty Rossmore Vintage Club by president Liam O’Dwyer.

After attending rallies for over 10 years or more as an exhibitor all over the country, I was talking to Jimmie O’Donoghue, magazine editor of the Irish Vintage Engine and Tractor Association, when he mentioned that Tipperary needed a Vintage Rally.

“Can you work on that,” he said.

After talking to Jim Mulhall, a local publican and fellow enthusiast, we decided to hold a vintage display. It was to coincide with the Connie Ryan Gathering in 1999.

We had Ger and Alec Crosses of Donaskeigh with their ‘Pride of Tipperary’ steam engine, John O’Donoghue from Holycross with a Potín still he made for a pub in Clonmel (and what a magnificent display it was) and finally myself with cast iron seats, fire blowers, petrol cans and stationary engine drawing a corn grinder.

In 2001 Jim Mulhall and myself decided to do a bigger rally. I rang Jimmie O’Donoghue for a date for a rally and he gave August 19 so we decided to go for it. Jimmie rang a week later and asked would we take the National Rally with only five weeks to prepare for it. We had to form a committee. It was the year of the foot and mouth and most rallies were cancelled.

The committee were as follows: Chairman: Paddy Heffernan RIP, Vice Chairman: Liam O’Dwyer, Secretary: Judy Hayes O’Dwyer, Joint Treasures: Jim and Patricia Mulhall, Paddy Kelly (Thurles), PRO Joseph O’Keeffe, Denis Ryan and Richard Ryan.

With five weeks’ notice, we had a lot of work to do to get sponsors and stories for our programme.

2020 committee of Clonoulty Rossmore Vintage Club

We were told afterwards by the Irish Vintage Engine and Tractor Association (IVETA) that it was the best programme in the country. The rally went very well on the day considering it rained all the day before. We also held a raffle and travelled the length and breadth of the county to help boost our fundraising efforts for South Tipperary Hospice Movement.

Over the next couple of years our committee grew stronger and our following the same so we decided the next step would be a bucket collection which has also grown into an annual event. The public were very generous. Due to the overwhelming support of annual bucket collection and our annual vintage rallies we have been able to donate in excess of €320,000 to South Tipperary Hospice Movement.

We have also supported local groups/ organisations such as the Rossmore Racquetball youth group participating in the world racquetball games, Ballagh Social centre in their initial setting up costs, Clonoulty Rossmore GAA and guide dogs for the blind, Order of Malta, Clonoulty Rossmore Tidy Villages, we have donated animals through Bothar, sponsored local students who went on mission work and other worthy causes.

The club secretary Judy Hayes O’Dwyer retired after 15 years of hard work. Judy was the backbone of the rally and club for so many years and our famous programme is a credit to her. The reins were handed over to Mary Hennessy who is the current secretary and Aishling Mulhall assistant secretary.

In more recent years we have hosted a traditional wake which was a great success and a live Christmas Crib in Simon’s Bar, Clonoulty with funds raised supporting the local playground group and other local groups which coincided with our light up for Christmas truck and tractor run from Clonoulty Rossmore GAA field.

This year would have been our 20th rally but with the current situation it is looking less likely it will go ahead. We have a permit for July 4 for our annual bucket collection in Thurles, Cashel, Tipperary and Clonmel but due to the current lockdown this will not happen.

Never to be bet, we came up with an idea “A Virtual Home Run” but in a wacky and wonderful way. We have adults doing pedal bike tractor runs, local farmers doing 2km tractor runs up and down their own local roads and children using their farm toys to create their very own runs.

Our supporters can do their own version of a virtual home run using whatever mode of transport they can think of, this can be on legs (2 or 4 we are not biased and horses do love the camera), wheels, boats or anything else you can think of.

This year we are raising funds for South Tipperary Hospice Movement and the CUH Cancer unit. These two charities do so much to help those living with cancer.

To donate please look up our Facebook page www.facebook.com/ Clonoulty-Rossmore- Vintage-Club or on www.iFundraise.ie/virtualhomerun donations can also be given to any committee member.

We would like to extend our sincere sympathies to the Heffernan family on the recent death of Paddy, who was our first chairman, he will be sadly missed by all. R.I.P.