Fir Trees to host Night at the Races for John Gallagher

“WE can no longer help daddy; hopefully this night can help others.”

These are the words of Erin Gallagher, whose family is organising a charity event in memory of her late father, John Gallagher, who passed away following a battle with motor neurone disease (MND) in August.

‘A Night at the Races’ will take place on November 29 at the Fir Trees Hotel in Strabane. Erin and her family hope the event will support others affected by MND, a rare and terminal disease that progressively damages the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, leading to loss of muscle function.

Mr Gallagher’s journey with MND began in 2021 with a tingling sensation in his left arm. Initially hesitant to seek medical attention during the Covid-19 pandemic, he eventually saw a doctor when his symptoms worsened.

Wife Debbie explained, “John was diagnosed with MND in July 2022, a year after his symptoms began with a tingling left arm.

“John was never a sick man and had never so much as seen a doctor before and he was reluctant to go, purely because it was during Covid and he said he ‘didn’t want to be torturing the doctors’ while it was going on.

“Eventually his symptoms got worse and John actually contracted Covid. We knew something wasn’t right and he went to the doctors.

“Thankfully Dr McSorley, who we can’t thank enough, was on the ball and quickly got John in touch with a neurology team in Belfast who did a battery of tests and we eventually got the awful diagnosis that it was MND. John had read up on it knowing there was a possibility that would be his diagnosis and he always hoped it wasn’t; it devastated us when we found out it was.”

Even through the tribulations of the diagnosis, Debbie said her husband always remained brave. The only time John spent in a hospital was when he underwent a trial of a new drug in Dublin’s Beaumont Hospital. He otherwise sppent time at home being cared for by Debbie and his children Erin and Tiarnan.

Daughter Erin continued, “The one thing I remember about the wake was how everyone was saying just how much of a gentleman my daddy was and they were absolutely right. A lovely, kind and gentle soul, he was the kind of man who always hated seeing people stuck and, on occasions when people were unable to pay him for work, he would often say ‘sure I’ll come back.’ But he would avoid actually going back if he could. Daddy was such a family man who loved life and we were so lucky to have him in ours.”

The family previously undertook a climb of Croagh Patrick to raise funds for MND NI and, following their father’s death, they decided they wanted to do something else.

Erin added, “I knew nothing about ‘a day at the races’ so I contacted a man in Clady who had done them before and he helped organise it. It’s wonderful to see so many people interested in attending and sponsoring a race. Not a lot is known about MND and, if this night raises awareness then great. We can no longer help daddy, hopefully this night can help others.”

A Night at the Races in memory of John Gallagher will take place in the Fir Trees Hotel on November 29, with a raffle and disco afterwards. Doors open at 8pm and entry is £5.