THE McNally family from Rostrevor have been fundraising for almost five years and to date they have raised almost £60,000 for local charities in memory of their son and brother, Kieran, who passed away in 2019 from bowel cancer, aged 39.
The family hold two events annually.
One is a memorial walk to mark the fact that Kieran himself climbed Kilimanjaro in January 2019 just before he got sick.
His brother Noel is a keen mountain hiker and suggested the walk in his memory.
The memorial walk took place on Saturday the 13th of July, with over 70 participants.
The group started at Kilbroney Park and made their way on a six-hour hike through the Mournes, taking in breathtaking views along the way, including Yellow Water, Red Bog, Slieve Martin, Ballynagelty, Kodak Corner and, lastly, the famous Cloughmore stone.
They made their way back to Kilbroney Park, where they were greeted by many family members and lots of Kieran’s friends.
Music kindly performed by Darren O’Hare and a well-earned burger and beer was ready to be enjoyed.
Local businesses donated many prizes for the raffle, followed by an evening of stories about Kieran whilst listening to some of his favourite tunes.
The walk itself raised the amazing sum of £4,000.
The second event, the Burren Dog Show, took place on Saturday the 27th of July.
The chief organiser was Kieran’s youngest brother Stephen, and this day is proving to be a huge success.
Dog enthusiasts the length and breadth of Ireland made their way on the now annual pilgrimage to Burren, not only to show and race their dogs but to raise vital funds for local charity ‘Life and Time’.
From early morning it was plain to be seen that it was going to be a bumper crowd as the patrons started arriving at the field kindly provided by the McGovern family.
With 497 dogs in attendance, lurchers, terriers, whippets, hounds and strong dogs, these passed through the various show rings and the judges had their work cut out.
But they undertook their work with great professionalism and the show organisers would like to thank them for their time.
The show began with the biggest children’s class known, with over 40 excited children showing off their beloved dogs.
Each child received the Burren Dog Show medal and a goody bag.
Following several hours of showing and much deliberation, the judges decided the show’s overall champion was a foxhound called Gollum, owned by George Barrett from the Iveagh Fox Hounds.
Members of the Doran family presented George with the Sean Doran Memorial Cup.
Each class was also presented with dog food, sponsored by Paul McGrath of Favour Pet Foods.
It wasn’t just dog showing that had the vast crowd entertained, but the dog racing, again overseen by the magnificent McGrath family, who travelled the whole way from Carlow.
Again the organisers would like to thank them for their continued support.
The dog racing was preceded by the now popular ‘dinosaur’ racing, which again had the crowd in stitches as the ‘dinosaurs’ (men in suits) made their way up the track.
In addition to previous years at the show, this year there was also something for angling enthusiasts, with two Kilkeel Angling Club members there with stalls, Steven Moates and Janis from JB Moulds.
Steven conducted demonstrations of tying salmon and trout flies, while Janis had his custom-made bass, pike and pollock lures with him.
Each year the show hosts a raffle which proves very popular, and this year was no exception, with record ticket sales recorded.
The top prize was a £500 voucher for The Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle, very kindly donated by the Doran family.
“As with any event it is impossible to organise without help and we would like to thank each and every person who spent time and money to make it a success,” the McNally family added.
“We would also like to thank the sponsors on the day, Paul McGrath, of Favour Pet Foods, and each ring sponsor: Concrete and Core; MR Mechanical Services; BMP Furniture; Kane Group; Magee Joinery; EC Veterinary.
“We would also like to thank the McGovern and Toner families, Burren Gun Club, DWTC, Margaret McStay and Didi Baxter.
“And, finally, the continued success of the show relies on the support of each and every person who attends the show, who showed or raced dogs, bought tickets or donated prizes for the raffle.
“A heartfelt thanks to you all and we look forward to seeing you at both events in 2025.”
The total amount raised at Burren Dog Show was £14,000.
