Support our shops says cancer chain founder
Bart Murphy, standing outside the shop on Leixlip's Captain's Hill
FORGET about the big hospitals and give to us, was the message from the founder of the Bart Murphy Cancer charity shop chain, this week.
Mr. Murphy was speaking at the launch of a new free Straffan basesd transport services for cancer patients on Sunday, 21 October.
The service, officially launched by Kildare County Cllr Frank O’Rourke, is just one element of Murphy stores, a number of which operate in Kildare, is launching a new transport service for cancer patients, writes Henry Bauress.
On Sunday Cllr. O’Rourke, after letting off blue and pink balloons into the air at the newly renovated cancer charity shop at Longtown, Straffan, thanked Mr. Murphy for the service his shops are providing for people suffering the trauma of cancer. “You are helping people at the coalface and not tying them up in red tape. The money will go directly to people,” said Cllr. O’Rourke who is lobbying Kildare County.
He also said he is lobbying the County Council for a continuous white line to be installed in the Longtown area.
Mr. Murphy, who said the charity has hopes by the end of the year to contribute €35,000 to St Bridget’s hospice in the Curragh, said at the launch that a woman in Portlaoise suggested the transport idea: “If I have to go by bus I won’t be going too long, she said.”
The service will work by transporting patients from the cancer shop in Longtown, Straffan, to any hospital in the greater Dublin area.
Mr. Murphy said already 12 people every day have booked in for journeys up to 20 November.
Appealing for more volunteers for the expanding chain of shops, he thanked Sean Travers of Straffan Cabs, who will help bring people to Dublin at a “minimum” cost and Fran’s Taxi’s in Kilmeague.
The launch attendance included Leixlip volunteers, Hilda Byrne, Suzy Young and Rosin Murphy.
Hilda told the Leader she started in the Leixlip shop and will manage a new shop in Rathcoole, to open today, Tuesday.
The chain will soon have twenty shops, said Mr. Murphy, a former general election candidate and developer who lost his money in the Celtic Tiger bust but who is opening shops with all the excitement of the Tiger at its peak.
These chain, which employs some staff, will soon include Derrinturn, Kilmeague, Rathcoole, Edenderry (opening this Friday), Leixlip, Gorey, Rosslare Harbour, Wexford and Tullamoreboth opening in December) and Dunboyne. The chain has a website, Bart Cancer Charity and Fashion Cancer.com and on 11 November, it plans to have an auction at the Danby Hotel, in Wexford.
Mr. Murphy said among the items on sale will be a document about the initiation of Thomas J. Clarke in the Irish Republican Brotherhood.
“Most of our staff are volunteers and without them, we could not do this work.”
He said the number to be contacted for booking this service is (01) 610 7003 or (01) 610 7028.
- Henry Bauress
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Monday 20 May 2013
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