Camog star Paula in charity fundraiser

Camog star Paula in charity fundraiser

29 April 2020

DOWN and Clonduff camogie star Paula O’Hagan has described as unbelievable the response to her charity fundraiser that has raised £4,000 for Leukaemia & Lymphoma NI Research.

Paula’s niece, Clodagh Gribben, was diagnosed with lymphoma/leukaemia on Christmas Eve and died four days later.

“I was just sitting in the house on the Thursday before Easter thinking about how I could raise some money for the fundraiser that my, brother, Darren and his wife, Carol, started and I came up with the idea of doing an online fitness class each day during Easter week for £1 per class.

“I started Pilates with Paula, a fitness class here in Hilltown, a couple of years ago when I had not got full-time work. The response to the classes has been brilliant and I have kept it on, even though I am teaching PE full-time in Assumption Grammar in Ballynahinch.

“Obviously with COVID-19 I am off work now and with no GAA or fitness classes I have more time on my hands.

“I put out the idea on social media on Friday morning and then spent the weekend putting together the first class to upload Monday morning.

“I honestly didn’t know what to expect really. I was thinking maybe if I managed to pull in a hundred people at £5 each, £500 would be a reasonable target.

But I have really been overwhelmed by the response.”

Members of her usual weekly classes in Pilates for Paula responded immediately, but her school quickly weighed in behind the effort and her many acquaintances in GAA and camogie.

Despite her organisation of the fundraiser, in her words being “a bit last minute”, her target was realised eight-fold and she presented a cheque for £4,000 last week.

“I couldn’t believe it really. When I saw Instagram stories of Sophie Colgan in New York taking part, Eilís Ní Chaiside [the Slaughtneil camog], who has been in New Zealand for the past year, signing up, and Sarah Donnelly, the Tyrone footballer in Australia, it just shows you that the people you meet through the GAA will always support each other.”

Paula last year captained Clonduff to the All-Ireland club title and she has played for Down and Ulster over many years, while her husband Darren is the Down football captain.

“The GAA/camogie community is absolutely fabulous. They rallied around my family after Christmas and provided a lot of comfort and again the response has been phenomenal.

“COVID-19 has challenged the family once more. Clodagh’s parents, my brother Darren and his wife Carol, live in Coleraine and it has been very difficult for us as a family to support them. What has happened over Easter week has given us all a huge lift and we are very thankful for all that support from our GAA family.

“I have got a lot of messages since the last class on Friday and everyone seems to have enjoyed them. A lot had never done exercise like that and now want me to provide more classes online and keep it going for as long as we are all prevented from going back to work.

“I think plenty of people are finding the lockdown very tough mentally and I got that back in the messages too, about how they felt a lot more positive after doing the exercise, a lot fresher and ready to face the day.”

She added: “The people who supported the fundraiser have helped themselves, helped Leukaemia & Lymphoma NI Research and really supported the Gribben family.”  

You can still contribute to Leukaemia Lymphonania Research by searching for Carol and Darren Gribben’s fundraiser in aid of Leukaemia & Lymphoma NI on Facebook or follow this link https://www.facebook.com/donate/592741901318028/