Celebrities answer call for Cork school fundraiser
Answer: A national school has scored a major coup by signing them and other celebrities up to provide questions for a fundraising quiz.
Rath National School in Baltimore in West Cork has signed up a number of national and international stars to compile questions for the quiz it will be holding in the local Casey’s Hotel on April 17 at 9pm.
Local garage owner Kevin Cadogan hit on the idea of getting celebrities to set the questions after asking two famous people if they would help him out.
It was pushing an open door in the cases of Jeremy Irons and David Puttnam, as Kevin happens to service their cars. It snowballed after that because Jeremy roped in fashion icon Twiggy and her actor husband Leigh Lawson.
Handwritten letters, instead of emails, also did the trick.
“I sent a handwritten letter to Graham Norton and out of the blue he sent me back the questions. I did the same with others and it worked. I think handwritten letters are way more personal,” Kevin said.
Other celebrities who have sent 10 questions each include The Late Late Show’s Ryan Tubridy; Saturday Night Show’s Brendan O’Connor; singer songwriters Christy Moore and Charlie McGettigan; RTÉ’s Prime Time team of Katie Hannon and David McCullough; journalists and broadcasters including John Creedon and Alison O Connor.
Questions were also set by 2014 Irish Master Chef winner Diana Didog who lives near Courtmacsherry and Martin Shanahan, TV chef and owner of ‘Fishy Fishy’ in Kinsale.
“I have been amazed by the level of interest in the quiz and the inventive ways in which people have used their contacts to approach well-known people the length and breadth of the country and beyond to submit questions,” Kevin said.
“Some of the questions are of a personal nature and some of the questions are downright quirky but they should make for a very interesting and unique fun night on the night,” Kevin said. He is a member of the school’s parents’ association which, over the years, hosted a number of fundraisers to improve conditions at Rath NS.
The quiz is part of a number of fundraisers for a new outdoor playground which will cost more than €20,000 to build.
Anybody interested in pre-booking a table can contact Kevin on 028-21461. People are also welcome to turn up on the night and the cost is €40 per table of four. The organisers say they can cope with up to 40 tables.
