An incredible €10,000 was raised for the ‘In For A Penny’ charity following a fun family Gaelic Games blitz at Leixlip GAA last Saturday.

The event’s feature-piece was a fun seven-a-side Gaelic football blitz for over 200 players from 20 men’s, women’s and children’s teams. Teams form Lexilip, Naas, Maynooth, Cebridge, Confey and beyond all played in this fun day out. 

A huge crowd, including several well-known sporting and media personalities, attended the event which was expertly hosted by the Leixlip GAA club. The victorious Naas senior hurling team were also in attendance with the All-Ireland intermediate, Leinster intermediate and Kildare senior hurling trophies.

Alan Murphy, Leixlip GAA running the dramatic penalty shootout finale. 

To-date almost €110,000 has been raised by the campaign.

The little girl who inspired this – and other events - is 7-year-old Penny O’Brien, whose mother, Sinead, hails from Leixlip.

In June 2020, Penny was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a very rare form of bone cancer. Within days Penny started a very intense course of chemotherapy treatment that would go on for 10 months. In September 2020 she underwent limb sparing surgery.

Members of the Naas and Maynooth football teams come together at the end of their hard fought tussle. 

Her treatment was extremely intense, resulting in Penny spending long periods of time in Our Lady’s Hospital Crumlin and University Hospital Limerick, away from her family and missing out on all the things that a child should be doing. In March 2021 Penny finished her chemotherapy and rang The Bell at Crumlin Hospital who then referred the O’Brien family to Daisy Lodge in Newcastle, Co. Down for a therapeutic break.

From there, the “In For A Penny” charity was set up to raise vital funds for Our Lady's Hospital Crumlin and also to raise funds to go towards the building of the Daisy Lodge Mayo, the first Cancer Support Centre for children in the Republic of Ireland.

Members of Naas hurling community proudly displaying county, provincial and national silverware from the 2021 season

Meanwhile, the charity’s showpiece event takes place on St Patrick’s Day when a group of 150 women from Kildare and Tipperary undertake a Dip in the Nip at a secret location to raise further funds. 

The target amount for the organising committee is €150,000. All donations are welcome, and a link can be found on the In for a Penny Instagram page or on the idonate platform.

 

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