Champions Under Lights raises over €40,000 for Dillon Quirke Foundation

Pádraig Enright, chief executive officer at Clonmel Credit Union, Eamonn O’Mara, chairman at Clonmel Credit Union, Niall Fitzgerald, Tipperary senior football manager, Tommy Sheehan, manager at Fethard Town Park, Dan Quirke, founder of Dillon Quirke Foundation, and Audrey Conway, branch manager at Clonmel Credit Union. Pic: Michael Boland.

The inaugural Champions Under Lights evening raised over €40,000 for the Dillon Quirke Foundation. The foundation, created to honour former Tipperary hurler Dillon Quirke who died three years ago of sudden adult death syndrome (SADS), supports heart screening services for young people.

The Champions Under Lights event saw 2,500 attend a sold-out Fethard Town Park on Saturday to watch All-Ireland hurling champions Tipperary face Limerick, and football champions Kerry also play the Premier County. 

In the opening football contest, Kerry emerged victorious over Tipperary, securing a 2-15 to 1-15 win. The hurling encounter was even closer as Tipperary edged Limerick by the narrowest of margins, finishing 1-21 to 0-23.

"We’re so thankful to everyone who supported the Champions Under Lights event and helped raise much needed funds for the Dillon Quirke Foundation," said Dan Quirke, father of Dillon and the founder of the foundation.

"It’s brilliant to see continued support from the community for this vitally important cause and a source of great pride that it bears Dillon’s name.”

The foundation’s goal is to raise awareness of the need for cardiac screening to help prevent SADS. This can be achieved by funding cardiac screening in clubs all across Ireland.

Tommy Sheehan, the manager of Fethard Town Park, added: "Champions Under Lights is a fantastic event that means so much to our community. Fethard Town Park in association with Coolmore, is delighted to have the opportunity to support the Dillon Quirke Foundation in this way with Clonmel Credit Union. We were thrilled to receive such encouragement and commitment from Tipperary, Kerry and Limerick GAA and from their amazing supporters who spent their Saturday with us."