Killeigh mother and daughter raise over €22k for cancer care

A Killeigh mother and daughter who embarked on a 100 mile charity walk to raise funds for the Irish Hospice Foundation have raised a total sum of €22,124.85 for cancer care.

Arlene Guilfoyle Beatty and her daughter, Emma (19) have paid an emotional tribute to everyone who helped them to raise such a huge sum of money and, in a Facebook post, they extended a heartfelt thanks to "each and every person" who contributed and supported them on their walks during the month of March.

The fundraiser took place in the wake of the tragic passing of Donal Beatty, the much-loved husband of Arlene and father of Emma, Ronan and Seán, just seven months after he was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of lymphoma in August 2021.

Donal, who was the proprietor of Beatty's Boarding Kennels on Fenter Lane in Killeigh, passed away in his own home and surrounded by his family and close friends, due to the availability of palliative care nurses funded by the Irish Hospice Foundation.

The Beatty family had always intended organising a fundraiser for the Irish Hospice Foundation so that other families could avail of the same care and support for their loved ones.

Having originally set a target of €500 their fundraiser received huge support from the local community and from much further afield, which saw it exceed €20,000 before the mother and daughter had completed their separate 100 mile walking challenges during the month of March.