CoAction nets €24k from donor after GAA lotto win

THE search is on for the generous person who wrote the name ‘CoAction’ on the winning ticket in the O’Donovan Rossa GAA Club’s €24,000 draw.

Gobnait Ní Chrualaoí, CEO of CoAction, said they have no idea who the mysterious benefactor is but are very grateful for the win because it will allow them buy a people carrier for the use of the people they serve.

‘Because it was an O’Donovan Rossa Club win, we think it would be appropriate to spend it for the people we support in the Skibbereen and outlying areas,’ said Gobnait.

‘I have no doubt it will bring huge enjoyment to the 30 people we support in Skibbereen and help them engage more with their local community.’

That level of engagement is one of the surprising developments the people at CoAction have experienced during the pandemic.Traditionally, people would travel to one of CoAction’s large centres in Bantry, Skibbereen, Clonakilty, Dunmanway or Castletownbere, but that was not always possible due to the Covid-19 restrictions and guidelines.

The organisation decided to branch out instead and hired facilities, like GAA and parish halls, from a variety of community-based groups. ‘We received a generous and warm welcome from a wide variety of groups,’ said Gobnait, ‘and we were able to reciprocate by hiring facilities that otherwise would have been idle.’

Now, CoAction is providing services in places like Ballydehob, Rosscarbery, Drimoleague and Durrus so people are receiving services closer to their own homes. ‘It has allowed them to reconnect with old friends and neighbours,’ she said, ‘because they are now back in their communities during the day.’

‘We can’t thank the person who bought the ticket because we don’t know who bought it – yet,’ she said. ‘We are hoping to find out but that person may wish to remain anonymous.’