Staff and pupils with the cheque they were presented with last Thursday morning.

Stormy Rahugh NS fundraiser brings in over €17,000

Storm Aisling was raging outside but the real storm was happening inside The Hazel Pub in Rahugh on Sunday October 20.

The night began with The Wrafters lifting the roof with their magical blend of folk, pop and trad, while the much anticipated auction presided over by the wildly entertaining Rock on Paddy had drawn in an enthusiastic crowd undeterred by the wind.

The items – too good to miss – were gathered by a hardworking committee who had one objective: to raise as much money as possible for the refurbishment project for Rahugh school.

They begged from every business, establishment, farm and home to accumulate items, from Grassmen jackets to Liverpool match tickets, from silage, winter fuel and prize calves to James Crombie framed photos, oil paintings, five-star holidays, rugby tickets, beauty treatments and designer bags.

Also up for auction were Tailteann Cup memorabilia, lashings of prime sirloin steaks and seasonal lamb.

The impressive catalogue of items for auction was collated meticulously by the school secretary Caroline Harte and chairperson Norah Daly .

It was clearly an auction of items worth braving the elements for.

Every item sold for its value or above, solicited by the skilled auctioneer Paddy. No reticent bidder was safe from his clutches.

The committee of Tom Larkin, John Coyne, Jason Brennan and Martha Walshe, efficiently payments from a willing audience while school staff Claire McNally, Catherine O’Dowd, Charmaine Corrigan-Earley and Avril Watson modelled and displayed the prizes. It was a winning combination. The auction drew in €13,000 on the night and together with the cash sponsorship, the fundraising team handed over a cheque for €17,250 to Norah Daly, chairperson of the Rahugh NS board of management.

The night was not complete till a duet from Rock on Paddy and school principal Annette Lynam brought the crowd to their feet, and then the crowd danced away into the early hours.