Daffodil Day in the Kildare Town a great success

THE good folk in Kildare town pulled all the stops last weekend to raise money for the Irish Cancer Society’s Daffodil Day in the Silken Thomas pub and restaurant.

“It started on Friday morning, and went til Monday,” said Patrick Murphy, one of the driving forces behind the campaign in the town.

“We’ve been doing this now since 2013 when it started as a coffee morning, and its grown since then,” he said.

“My husband Paul Robinson was diagnosed then with Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia, he was getting his treatment in Tallaght Hospital, and he felt he wanted to give something back,” said Patrick, explaining the origins of the campaign in Kildare town.

“So we approached Caroline Kelly the manager of the Silken Thomas about doing a coffee morning back then.

“We also went for a sponsored walk to St Brigid’s Well, and planted daffodils.

“We raised €3,000 that first year, and this year so far I have deposited €11,324, and that’s just from Kildare town!

“We also had a group of women called the Dream Believers who were collecting outside Tesco’s.

“We had a raffle as well on Monday where all the businesses from around the town donated prizes, we also had the collection boxes in all the shops, and with all the people collecting, that’s what we’ve got so far.

“I want to mention all the other businesses around – not just Silken Thomas’s – but there are so many I’m afraid to in case I forget one!

“The town is fantastic when it comes to Daffodil Day,” he concluded.