Special Kildress event marks fundraising legend’s 80th birthday

A KILDRESS man who has played a pivotal role in raising more than £500,000 for charities and good causes over the past three decades has taken part in a special walk to mark his 80th birthday.

Des Keenan has become known throughout Ireland and beyond for his efforts to improve and enhance his local community.

Recently, Mr Keenan was on hand to reflect on the huge efforts undertaken by him with the help of so many others over the last years.

The ‘Dander with Des’, which marked his 80th birthday, was held to raise funds for Kildress Health Matters and the Kildress Amateur Boxing Club.

Mr Keenan said the area had been transformed over the past 60 years since he was a young man.

“This parish has been totally transformed during that time. I was one of seven living in a one-bedroom house. We walked across the fields to school barefoot for a few months every year,” he recalled.

“When I was growing up, there were no businesses in this parish. My first job was on the Cookstown to Omagh Road, at the bottom of Drum Manor.

“In the 1960s, very few families had running water or electricity. There are now lots of very successful businesses giving employment to young people, who have employment here if they don’t want to do to Australia or Canada.”

Mr Keenan said that, since he began fundraising, Kildress had been blessed with lots of community projects.

One of the first was Kildress Care, formed in 1986 and still organising dinners, dances and social outings under the guidance of Briege Ferry.

He was also part of the team which published the book ‘Kildress – Rolling Back the Brambles’, and assisted in the construction of the Dunamore Riverside Walk.

A founding member of Kildress Health Matters, Mr Keenan went on to speak about how the voluntary group was set up in 2005.

He said a total of £60,000 was raised within a week to help local woman, Dolores Connelly, who was diagnosed with a severe form of cancer, and the group was formed to help distribute the £20,000 left over after her untimely death.

“Over the last 30 years, we have raised and distributed over £100,000 to approximately 80 families in the parish of Kildress to people incapacitated through illness, injury and emergency. People of all ages, from babies to the elderly have benefitted from this confidential service.

“For various other clubs and organisations, we have raised approximately £400,000 over the years.

“As the saying goes, it’s better to light one candle, rather than sit and curse the darkness. I may have lit one or two candles, but without the support, help and generosity of the parish and further afield, this couldn’t have been achieved. And my group of friends in the audience were right beside me through it all.”