Mayo goodwill at its best lifts community spirits

by Barbara Daly

I was struggling to find something to write about this week, not because there is a shortage of news out there or issues that affect my family and I, but because I craved the positive.

I didn’t want to complain or report on the negative.

There are already so many bad news stories - tragedies, climate catastrophes, homelessness, mounting bills and costs - that it was all becoming a bit too much for me and I needed a lift.

For our family the last few weeks have been like a bad joke.

Bills are coming at us from everywhere and we are beginning to feel like we are working for nothing. Cars are breaking down, dentist bills imminent and a burst pipe under a sink to name but a few.

Then today I got the news that one of the last remaining members of either of my parents’ families, an uncle in England, had died.

I felt the sadness of the impending loss of a generation and was bombarded by childhood memories long gone.

Then that night I attended a fundraising meeting for our local community childcare service here in Louisburgh.

I am the chairperson of the board of management and it has been an incredibly busy 12 months with a new créche and after-school opening.

If the truth be told I was beginning to run out of energy for it. The last few weeks have been particularly busy.

The leaky roof is being replaced and it is turning into a bigger job than anticipated – big, messy and probably more costly.

So I came to the meeting with less enthusiasm than usual.

We are planning a ‘Ball Run’ in the town on the October Bank Holiday weekend and the idea was to make it into a mini-festival event for the town. The money is for a much-needed air conditioning system and essential repairs. This was our first meeting.

When you volunteer for a community organisation it can be a constant struggle – to get help, funding, volunteers, support. You are always scrambling for something while giving of your precious time for free.

Then yesterday the Louisburgh Area Men’s Shed contacted us and asked could a representation come to the meeting as they were thinking of setting up some entertainment and a BBQ on the evening of our event, presumably to raise funds for their group.

We were happy to include them. So three very pleasant men turned up as promised and sat in the tiny chairs in the playschool. They looked like kindly giants.

They listened to our ideas and then told us theirs. I then asked them how they planned on raising funds for their group through the event.

They all shook their heads and one of them said: "Oh no, we will not be raising funds for us, we are here to support you in raising what you need. We will do everything we can to help you."

They then proceeded to offer to organise this, contact them and build that and generally boost the whole event to a new level.

I can’t tell you the effect their incredibly kind and generous offer had on me. I felt a weight being lifted and a huge sense of relief.

The burden was being more than shared with this group of capable, knowledgeable, resourceful local men. It felt like the Daddys had taken over and us kids didn’t need to worry any more.

From the looks of astonishment on the faces of the rest of the committee I could tell they shared my amazement.

This is goodwill, this is community spirit, this is giving back without wanting to get back.

The fact that this community group stepped forward, unasked and sought to help another community group is truly inspirational and humbling.

This is what makes Irish communities the best that they can be.