Molly Buckley from Power4Good Ireland and one of the organisers of the annual Black Tie Charity Ball in the Bridge House Hotel, Tullamore is pictured at this year’s hugely-successful event with Amanda Nyoni. Funds raised will be distributed to Power4Good and Accessible Counselling Tullamore (ACT).

Tributes paid to ACT founder at Black Tie Charity Ball

Published: Fri 15 Dec 2023, 3:53 PM

Warm tributes were paid to the founding member of Accessible Counselling Tullamore, the late James O'Connor, at the recent Power4Good Black Tie Charity Ball.

Accessible Counselling (ACT) was one of the beneficiaries of the funds raised at the annual social event, which attracted a large attendance in the Bridge House Hotel.

Chairperson of Power4Good, Molly Buckley, who is one of the organisers of the Black Tie Charity Ball, thanked MC Tara McCormack, for her warm words of tribute to the late James O'Connor and the legacy he has left to his native town in setting up an accessible counselling service for people who are struggling with their mental health.

She also thanked the joint sponsors of the event, Hugo Loonam Motors and Tullamore Credit Union for their generosity and welcomed Liam O'Callaghan, representing the credit union, and Kevin Meehan, from Hugo Loonam Motors.

Molly urged everyone present to shop local this Christmas and paid tribute to the many local businesses who had given spot prizes and supported the charity ball so generously, and she also paid tribute to the Power4Good committee and volunteers for their hard work in organising the event.

Power4Good is a registered charity founded in 2005, based in Tullamore and working with people with a disability in Zambia. They have carried out a number of Human Rights projects and are currently funding diesel for a school bus for children with special needs in Mazabuka, they also provide funding for a teacher at the Little Assisi School and Lundazi Secondary School for students with disability.

The local charity also gives donations to projects locally for students with autism, and this year they gave funding to the Cluny Centre in Gallen Community School in Ferbane, and the Unit in St Finian's, Mullingar.

Lisa Guing from Accessible Counselling highlighted the great work of ACT and said she was pleased to be continuing the work started by her late husband and founder of the organisation, James O Connor. She said that ACT had provided a service to over 1,865 clients and 8,000 counselling sessions.

Liam O'Callaghan, Chairperson of Tullamore Credit Union, said they were glad to support the Black Tie Charity Ball and outlined how they have also sponsored many other local projects throughout their 60 year history including the Pride of Place competition and the Community Fund.