Big-hearted Paddy plays a blinder for sick children

BIG-hearted Southsider Paddy Brennan has been praised for raising over €359,000 for the Children’s Medical Research Foundation (CMRF) at Our Lady’s Hospital in Crumlin.

Retiree Paddy (64) has been fundraising for the charity for 20 years and has gone above and beyond for the benefit of Crumlin’s young patients.

Paddy explains what motivated him to get involved.

 “From the age of five to 14, I attended Crumlin Hospital,” he said. “I had mastoiditis, a condition to do with the ear, and missed time in school. I always said when I was older that I would do something for the hospital because they’d helped me. When you have a personal connection with a charity, it makes you want to give back and to help in any way you can.”

Paddy’s fundraising journey began with a walking challenge to San Diego in 1999, followed closely by a charity trip to the Grand Canyon. Since then, he’s raised money for the hospital through coffee mornings, bucket collections, raffles, head shaves, duck races, challenges – to name but some.

He also set up a walking group which meets on Tuesday mornings. 

“We start at 10am and finish about 11am,” Paddy revealed. “There’s no hard rule about donations but we have a bucket there so if anyone has a bit of spare change they put it in. We collect the donations up over the year, from January to Christmas, and donate it in one sum to CMRF.” 

For Paddy, one of his top fundraising moments was the first head shave they did in 2001. 

“That idea was brand new at the time and was such a different and extreme way to fundraise,” he explains. “We had wall to wall prizes for a raffle and about 22 people there on the night in the local pub to get their heads shaved.

“Three professional hairdressers came to do the shaving and we raised about €20,000 altogether. 

“We had a few talent shows and bingo nights which raised a lot of money too. I’m known around the Crumlin and Perrystown/Manor Estate area. People know that I’ve been fundraising for the hospital for years and I’ve built up a lot of trust.

“Businesses have been great by donating raffle prizes over the years. I’ve had loads of jerseys signed by various teams.

He added: “People really are very good and everyone has some sort of link with the hospital so they want to help if they can.”

To make a donation, visit www.cmrf.org/donate