Lord Mayor Cllr.Dara Murphy hosted the Annual Avondale Utd. cheque presentation to the Share Christmas Appeal Fund at City Hall on Thursday last. This practice started in 1991 and thanks mainly to the efforts of Club PRO, Noel Long, it has been maintained over those 18 years. The Share Executive members change every year but the ideal remains the same. The monies raised still go to providing accommodation for Cork’s elderly and deserving citizens. Darragh O’Drisceoil from Rochestown,a pupil at Presentation Brothers College,is this years Chairman and he was accompanied by Executive Member,Mary Kate Portley from Model Farm Rd.,who attends Mount Mercy College.

Darragh thanked Avondale for their generosity saying that he was aware that sporting clubs were finding it difficult to fund their own programmes,so it was indeed praiseworthy that Avondale were prepared to continue with the tradition built up over the last eighteen years. The Lord Mayor praised the gesture of Avondale and all the sporting clubs who did so much voluntary work in their Communities. He said he was truly amazed at the generosity of the people of Cork who, in spite of difficult financial circumstances,were prepared to come to the assistance of the less well off.

“Some 1,800 schoolboys and girls will take to the streets of Cork over the Christmas to collect for Share and this showed that the young people had a great generosity of spirit and a willingness to help those in our society who need a helping hand” he said. Noel Long,PRO,thanked the Lord Mayor for his support saying that all the holders of the office had embraced the charity over the years and had rowed in behind the club’s efforts on behalf of the charity, which the people of Cork had taken to their hearts. Avondale were also represented by Chris Herlihy,Vice Chairman, John Turner,Manager of the Junior side and Brendan O’Connell,who won a Junior International Cap recently.