TV chef's Clonmel cookery demonstration is in aid of Bansha student with severe spinal injury

Serena Kinane from Kilshane, Bansha with her beloved dog Nala outside the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dublin earlier this year

A charity cookery demonstration by TV chef and caterer Eunice Power will take place in Clonmel’s Hotel Minella next week to raise funds for 22-year-old Serena Kinane from Bansha who suffered a severe spinal injury in a car accident last year.

The Support Serena Cookery Demonstration by the RTÉ Today Show chef and Irish Times cookery contributor from Dungarvan will take place at the hotel on Thursday, October 13 at 8pm.

A Halloween themed floral demonstration by Kerrie Bedell will also be part of the event.

Serena Kinane from Kilshane, Bansha was a vibrant, active young woman and accomplished horse rider studying to be a secondary school teacher when her life was turned upside down on November 11 last year.

She suffered a serious spinal injury when the car she was travelling in as a passenger was involved in an accident on the N24 at Fawnagown near Tipperary Town.

Serena, the daughter of Colm and Yvonne Kinane, underwent emergency surgery at the Mater Hospital and spent weeks in ICU on life support after the accident.

She has just arrived home after months of rehabilitation at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire. She is unable to walk and has limited movement in her arms.

Before her accident, Serena was studying teaching at Mary Immaculate College’s Thurles campus. She was an active member of the Scarteen Hunt Pony Club, competing in many competitions with the club and was the youngest member to take part in its Strictly Come Dancing fundraiser a few years ago.

In February 2021 she walked 100 miles in a month for the Mater Foundation Charity but in a heartbreaking twist of fate was to become a patient of the hospital only a few months later.

Former Fine Gael councillor Mary Greene from Rathgormack, a relative of the Kinane family, is organising next week’s cookery demonstration and flower arranging event.

She said all proceeds from the event will go to the Support Serena After Spinal Injury GoFundMe campaign set up by some of her friends and relatives in April. Funds raised by the campaign will assist the Kinane family with adapting their home for Serena’s needs and with paying for medical expenses and therapies to help Serena with her recovery.

The GoFundMe campaign’s fundraising target is €200,000 and to date it has raised more than €76.300.

Among the recent fundraisers was a spinathon at Tipperary Town Plaza that 56 people participated in virtually cycling 1,640km in 27.5 hours.

Serena’s aunt Cora Ryan, one of the GoFundMe campaign’s founders, said they have been overwhelmed by people’s generosity and kindness. She highlighted how one man walked from one end of the Galtee Mountains near Cahir to Anglesboro to raise funds for the cause while a fundraiser including cake sale in Kilkenny raised an impressive €7,000.

In the Support Serena After Spinal Injury GoFundMe page introduction video, her friends and family point out that Serena’s serious injury hasn’t hampered her spirit, courage and determination.

“These traits are helping her every day to strive towards an independent future. She is determined to finish her Degree.”

Ms Greene said the Support Serena Cookery Demonstration will be a very enjoyable night out as well as an opportunity to support this extremely worthy cause.

“Eunice Power and Kerrie Bedell are both great fun as well as experts in their fields,” she said.

She paid tribute to the Minella Hotel for providing the venue, Stephen Lynch of Coach House Coffee in Kilmacthomas for sponsoring printing costs and Ticketstop for waiving their fees for ticket sales.

Tickets cost €20. They can be purchased through the Minella Hotel Facebook page or Ticketstop at https://ticketstop.ie/event/
3939/support-serena-cookey-demo-with-eunice-power. Tickets will also be on sale at the door on the night.