€1m milestone reached by Kildare Relay For Life

A LANDMARK of exceptionalism could be reached in Newbridge before the end of July as the final tally for this year’s Relay for Life (RFL) is expected to see the cumulative total of the charity’s efforts in the town pass the magical €1m mark.

This year’s Relay was held last weekend – as usual – at the magnificent Curragh Racecourse, where over 7,000 people took turns in teams of between four and 20 people to walk for 24 hours in memory of a friend or loved one lost to cancer.

Last September during the handover of the cheque for €89,764 for the 2024 Relay the then long-term stalwart of the committee Peter O’Neill said: “Over the last 11 years (since 2013) we’re almost on the million mark … may be €30,000 short”.

“We were honoured with 126 survivors this year,” said chair Peter Whyte.

“They were attended by 12 volunteer hairdressers from all over the county, as well as getting their nails done and fortunes told!”

“We had five under 12 survivors who cut the ribbon at the same time to start the walk at noon, and they were led by local piper Davey Usher who’s been doing this for us for years.

“The survivors walked for one lap, and then the teams took over for 24 hours.

“Then, at dusk, we had 4,200 candle bags lit, led by a special choir put together by the nationally renowned chorister Owen C Lynch, also from Newbridge.”

This is when the bereaved put a tealight candle into a bag with the details of their beloved in a grid before the grandstand to be lit at dusk in remembrance.

Peter added: “The Curragh facilities are second to none, and I think we are blessed with what we have, as no other RFL in Ireland as they only have fields and pitches.

“The relief of getting it done, and how good it was, I think it was our best in five years”.

More photos in this week's paper (17 June)