Garnish GAA club on the run for Air Ambulance 

The Irish Community Air Ambulance and Rapid Response Vehicle at the organisation’s base in Rathcool, Co Cork. 

Members of Garnish GAA club will lap the local field for 24 hours this Saturday to raise funds for the West Cork club and Irish Community Air Ambulance.

Garnish GAA club, which is located at the western tip of the Beara peninsula, last summer required the services of the Irish Community Air Ambulance when an injured player had to be airlifted to Cork University Hospital. CUH, by road, is a more than a two-hour drive from the Garnish pitch.

The Irish Community Air Ambulance is Ireland’s only charity-funded Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Air Ambulance. It works in partnership with the National Ambulance Service and responds to serious incidents and medical emergencies from its base in Rathcoole, Cork.

The Longest Road fundraiser takes place this Saturday, February 26, with the club saying all members and supporters are welcome to join them for an hour to walk or run around the pitch or to do so in their own locality.

“We’re a small club with approximately 40 players and came really close to folding two years ago. However, thanks to huge local effort we’ve found our feet again. The importance of the Irish Community Air Ambulance really hit home when it was tasked to our club last summer to help an injured player. We’re more than two hours from Cork University Hospital and it is a long road if you’ve suffered a head injury, a bad break, or a heart attack," said Garnish GAA PRO Rory O’Driscoll.

“There is great community spirit in the area and we’re delighted to be able to give back to the Air Ambulance. We plan to have players on the pitch from the very early hours of Saturday morning until last thing that night.” 

Micheál Sheridan, CEO of the Irish Community Air Ambulance added: “We’re not government funded so we rely on donations and fundraisers like this to bring hope to people in emergency situations. We were called to 512 incidents during 2021 and each mission costs approximately €3,500, which is a significant amount of money to raise. We’re delighted that Garnish GAA Club has chosen us to be part of their fundraiser this year.” 

Garnish GAA club has set up an online donation page: https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/11426985_then-longest-road.html For more information about the service or to make a donation directly to the Irish Community Air Ambulance visit https://communityairambulance.ie