Millionaires' row: Why every village should have a shop, a pub... and a local philanthropist

As the recent JP McManus Pro-Am - and Limerick's All Ireland win - drew attention to the benevolent millionaire's support of his local communities, Jen Stevens looks at some other communities around Ireland for whom the presence of a wealthy neighbour has meant huge changes

Shane Lowry (right) explained that a congratulatory text message to JP McManus (left) was what got the ball rolling on his support of Offaly GAA. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

They say all politics is local and in Ireland that’s true, but something else that’s very local here is philanthropy.

Last month’s JP McManus Pro-Am in Adare Manor put the spotlight on how having a local millionaire can really benefit an area. Sine it first started in 1990, the event has raised over €140 million for charities across the Mid-West, an incredible feat, but much of the talk was on the ingenious ways that JP made some of that support very local indeed.