Tipperary Defence Forces ex-service women to do 8km ruck in aid of fellow veterans

Eight female Defence Forces veterans from south Tipperary will complete an 8km run carrying a rucksack on their back in Dublin on Saturday, September 28 to raise funds for the Organisation of National Ex-Service personnel.

They form half of the 16-strong group of Band of Sisters ONE veterans who will take part in the challenge, which is known in the Defence Forces as a “ruck”. The participants not only carry a rucksack but wear combats and army boots.

South Tipperary ONE Branch Chairperson Audra Larkin, who lives in Fethard, is one of the local veterans taking part in the ruck from McKee Barracks to the National War Memorial and onto Cathal Brugha Barracks where the ONE’s national convention will be taking place on September 28.

She said they are doing the challenge to raise funds for the ONE’s mental health supports and homeless accommodation for Defence Forces veterans.

“The ONE currently provides accommodation for approximately 51 veterans, who otherwise would be homeless, in its four residential homes in Cobh, Athlone, Dublin and Letterkenny,” explained Audra, who is an ONE Veterans Support Officer.

“The organisation has created a nationwide network of veterans’ support centres and is developing a six-bedroom facility in Cork City and a new seven-bedroom facility in Limerick.”

Audra said construction of the ONE’s new Cork City accommodation is expected to start soon and it’s hoped to open it in the first quarter of next year.

The new Limerick accommodation is expected to be completed soon after the Cork project.

Other south Tipperary Defence Forces veterans taking part in the Band of Sisters ruck are Davina Long, Brigid Buckley, Noelle Gardiner, Linda Buckley, Tanya Barrett, Trish Dennehy and Jacinta Canning.

Audra said their group range in age from 30 to 60 and already took part in the Women’s Mini-Marathon in Dublin in June. “We try to do three big fundraising events in the year.”

Anyone wishing to donate to the Band of Sisters fundraising campaign can do so by logging onto the South Tipperary ONE Facebook page where they will find the donation link.

Audra pointed out that their fundraising effort is also about raising awareness of the mental health and accommodation services the ONE provides to Defence Forces ex-servicemen and women. The ONE’s South Tipperary Veterans Support Centre is based at St Nicholas Parish presbytery in Carrick-on-Suir.

Audra encouraged any local veterans who need the ONE’s services to contact her at (085)2182620 or Denis Larkin at (087) 2838684.