THE date for the unveiling of the good works carried out at Rossmore Cemetery has been brought forward to 12pm on Sunday January 25th, writes Jackie Keogh.

Members of the Kilmeen and Castleventry Community Development Association had the unenviable task of raising €20,000 in the three weeks leading up to Christmas in order to secure €45,000 in local authority funding within the fiscal year.

The good news is that they raised well in excess of that amount, but the final figure won’t be announced until next Sunday’s event.

An iDonate page raised €20,000 alone, but a letter campaign, social media posts, and an article in The Southern Star on December 6th, highlighting the urgency of the situation, also helped to mobilise people in the community, the county and the country.

Generous donations even came in from America.

Jason Collins, chairman of the association, confirmed that they have, so far, received 250 donations, which includes another €10,000 in cash and cheques handed in to the officers of the association.

As part of the fundraiser, several generous donations were also made by Fr Tom Hayes and the Parish Council; local employer Keohane Readymix Ltd; as well as significant donations from a previous organisation called the Ballygurteen Race Committee.