NEWS
2025 Newsletter BCDA <<<—– Click here to read
2024 – The Christmas Market was a great success and the raffle helped raise a thousand euros for the Irish MPS Society. The cheque was presented to the society on Jan 4th 2025. Thanks to Martin and Mary Lynch for accepting this cheque on behalf of the community.
2024 Summer BBQ – The weather was great and look at the very happy Chefs, thanks to Enda and Henry!
2024 May – Darkness in to Light Walk for Pieta was very well attended and great monies raised.
2023 Our Christmas Market was held in December, the weather was not kind, it was very windy and wet. We had immense community support on the day. Thank you all.
2023 October – Milford Coffee Morning was a great success, thanks to the wonderful support from the community. Funds raised were €2,170.25
2023 Summer – We had a wonderful turnout for the community BBQ. The pictures speak for themselves. Thank you!
2023 May – Darkness into Light walk for Pieta House
This was a wonderful community event, we hosted, aided by Ballyneety golf club, Vines restaurant, DKR Association, St Ailbes Ladies football Club, South Liberties GAA club, Ballyneety Village, Ballyneety Defibrillator committee and many people supporting from far and wide. The BCDA walking track looked beautiful with over 400 candles lighting up the way to the water tower 🕯️😁. We plan to make this an annual event. We were delighted to raise €1,510 for Pieta house on the morning. Teas, coffees and scones were provided by Vines & BCDA in Vines after the walk. A very enjoyable event.
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2022 October – Ballyneety Defibrillator Launch
It has been said “it takes a village to save a life”, so with that thought in mind the Ballyneety Community Development Association and DKR Association joined forces with the shared objective of sourcing a defibrillator for the village and its wider community. A defibrillator (AED) is a potential lifesaving device which delivers an electric shock to the heart of someone in cardiac arrest. It is easy to use and with CPR can save a life. About 50 people in Ireland have a sudden cardiac arrest, every week 1 in 10 survive, those who do had early CPR and defibrillation. It was observed that although there are defibrillators in our community, none were available 24 hrs a day, only during working hours.
The Ballyneety project team with initial support from Cllr Sarah Kiely, Annacotty and Carrigaline First Responder Groups, Limerick County Council and Heart of Ireland in Killarney, set about sourcing a suitable defibrillator and housing unit. Our objectives were to ensure public visibility and awareness of the location of the AED, also the provision of CPR and AED training to our community.
Armed with great advice from Hayes First Aid Supplies in Newcastle West we decided on a dual switch defibrillator for adult /paediatric use and a heated cabinet for protection. The team wanted the defibrillator to be visible to any passer-by in the village, so Thomas Hassett of Custom Concrete Studio in Abbeyfeale who builds replica vintage P&T phone boxes gave us great advice.
This vintage phone box would not only protect the defibrillator from the elements, but more importantly would be a highly visible landmark in the event of an emergency. The box is an important part of our heritage, playing a huge role in our communities years ago by providing the lifeline that kept families together. Now it can do it again by housing lifesaving AED equipment.
The task of fundraising for these items was made easier by the amazing support from local businesses and the community. The AED and phone box funding were secured by a combination of donations from 3 main sponsors. Our sincere thanks to St Ailbes Credit Union, John Godfrey and family of Bio Science Nutrition Ireland, Anne and Brian Murphy of Creative Gardens for their immediate support. We set up an idonate page to raise funds for ongoing maintenance of the equipment and to be in a position to provide valuable training in CPR and AED use to the community. The response from businesses and the wider community was amazing, surpassing our target figure in 3 days unit. Without their support this project would not be delivered.
The AED in Ballyneety Village is available 24 hrs a day to the community. It is housed in the vintage phone box, illuminated at night with access via keypad. The 4-pin code is written on the door of the box for easy access. It is also linked with the National Ambulance Service, so when someone dials 999 in the event of an emergency the operator will alert you to the location of the nearest defibrillator if required. The phone box is monitored with CCTV cameras 24 hrs a day. It arrived in the village to great excitement from local residents, bringing back many fond memories for some.
Finally, we are so fortunate to have a wonderful community spirit in Ballyneety, all working together to make the village a better, safer place to live and work. While we hope it will never be needed, there is peace of mind knowing in the event of an emergency the defibrillator is easily accessible to all. Through the provision of ongoing CPR and AED education, plus access to the defibrillator we can create a village of lifesavers.
Please contact Ann Rowsome, member of the Ballyneety Defibrillator Project Team on 087 2965153 for more information or email ballyneetydefib@gmail.com
Sponsors, John Godfrey & Family of Bio Science Nutrition, Ireland
2022 April – The Ballyneety & District Men’s Shed opened
2021 December – The Christmas Market was a great success.
2021 September – The Milford Hospice coffee morning. We raised €1,690.16 on the day, Thank you!
Images show the beautiful baking done by our community and the wonderful team that put it all together. Thanks to our first customers on the day, the O’Donnell Family.
