Na Gaeil GAA hold fundraising dinner for Turkey and Syria earthquake relief efforts

So successful and popular was the recent Na Gaeil Gaa club’s fundraising dinner in aid of the Turkey and Syria earthquake relief efforts that organisers were forced to turn some people away simply because the numbers of people arriving to the clubhouse far exceeded what they had planned for.

Speaking to The Kerryman on Tuesday, Margaret Doody, one of the organisers of the event, said that as a club they had pulled together to help Ukraine and its refugees when they needed them and that they wanted to do the same now for those suffering in Turkey and Syria in the wake of the devastating earthquake last month that left thousands dead.

“It was unbelievable really. We had huge support, way beyond what we expected to be honest,” she said.

“We provided a meal costing €10 for an adult and €5 for a child and then we had special desserts which cost extra. We felt as a club that we had stepped up for Ukraine but we had done nothing for the earthquake victims so the dinner was our way of doing our small part,” Margaret said.

Something that made the event extra special and even more delectable was the fact that those in attendance were lucky enough to be able to sample some traditional Syrian dishes.

“I’m friends with a Syrian family so they came along and the mother of the family, she’s a fabulous cook so she made some delicious and traditional Syrian dishes for people to sample. They [the family] were really pleased that we were doing it and they were happy to help out,” she continued.

While they do not have a final figure yet on how much the event raised, Margaret said that they have well over €2,000 raised so far at the time of counting.