Festival of football, hope and support for Tipperary girl
Community rallies behind Mary Kate Byrnes and her family
Tremendous support and solidarity have been displayed throughout the community for a young Tipperary Town girl and her family, after she was diagnosed with a serious illness.
5-year-old Mary Kate Byrnes was diagnosed with cancer several weeks ago and is undergoing treatment for the illness.
Mary Kate and her older sister Daisy Mae, daughters of Sarah and Mark, play football with the Arravale Rovers Ladies Gaelic Football club (LGFA).
“They absolutely love football. They never miss training and are so dedicated,” said club secretary Annemarie Martin.
When the news emerged of Mary Kate’s illness, Louise McCarthy, her coach with the Under 6 team and the club’s Children’s Officer, came up with the idea of raising funds for the family for their everyday expenses at this time of crisis.
The club’s executive committee decided to organise an underage blitz for Under 6, Under 8 and Under 10 players at Sean Treacy Park in the town.
“It turned out to be a festival of football, hope and support,” says Annemarie Martin, who was one of the organisers of the event.
A total of 26 clubs from around Tipperary and east Limerick participated, with Gaelic4Mothers and Others also taking part.
The organisers created 14 pitches at Sean Treacy Park, which meant that 14 games of football were played concurrently every 15 minutes for two and a half hours.
A raffle was also organised, with local businesses among those who donated spot prizes. Stalls and a shop at the GAA pitch also contributed to the collective fundraising effort.
Although they didn’t tog out and play, the older players in the club made friendship bracelets and hair bobbles for the younger players and were "hugely involved,” according to Annemarie Martin.
Those young players who did play include Mary Kate’s sister Daisy Mae. Mary Kate was present with her family but didn’t play, as she was undergoing treatment around that time.
“There was a real family and friendly atmosphere evident. It was a truly special day,” she says.
“Everybody played to their strengths. Everybody had something to offer and they offered it with good grace”.
Annemarie described the support from the Arravale Rovers senior male and juvenile clubs as “absolutely phenomenal.
“In the seven weeks of planning the blitz, two words were never mentioned - ‘I’ and ‘no’. Nobody thought about themselves.
“The day was about far more than fundraising. It was a wonderful reminder of the strength, kindness and generosity that exists within our communities, and of the unique way that sport brings people together when it matters most.
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who played a part in making Game On for Mary Kate such a memorable and successful day”.
Annemarie Martin described Mary Kate as a typical 5-year-old, “bright and bubbly, and an absolute ball of joy”.
The best wishes of the community are extended to her and her family.