Mouse racing raises €6,000 for club’s coffers

Strictly Come Dancing, 5km runs and church gate collections — as far as GAA fundraisers are concerned, creativity is rarely exercised.

Step forward and take a bow, Tara Rocks GAA club.

The Wexford club organised a ‘Live Mouse Race and Grand National’ last Friday night, yes, you read correctly, a live mouse race. Apparently, it’s all the rage in North Wexford, with a host of clubs turning to the four-legged rodents in a bid to bolster the bank account. Friday night’s grand national was the club’s second of the summer — the two fundraising events netting a tasty €6,000. So, how does it work?

A timber board is divided into 10 numbered lanes, the mice are placed into their starting trap, the barrier is released and away they dash. 10 bottles are situated at the end of the board and the first mouse into their respective bottle is declared the winner.

“Up to four people are allowed to put €5 on the same mouse in a race. There is 10 mice in a race so that equates to 40 people putting money on one race, which provides €200 per race. We had 10 races on Friday night so that gives you €2,000,” explained club secretary Catherine Breen.

“Pasty Fortune, a local man, provides the mice. He breeds the mice himself. He has been using them specifically for these mice races. He brought them in a bucket to the pub on Friday night, took them out by their tail and put them into their respective slots. None of the mice sought to scurry away when being taken from the box onto the track, instead you had them resting on Patsy’s shoulder.

“People were enthralled by the races and the whole idea. It is just so unique and so unusual. The mouse that could be last for most of the race normally ends up winning. You don’t know what the mice will do. They might try and jump into another lane, they could get to the finish line and decide to turn back. We had a great crowd and I expect this idea will mushroom.”