All of those who attended the presentation in Trust: L/R Louis Copeland; Babs Keating – Manager Tipperary Hurling Team; Maol Muire Tynan (originally comes from North Tipperary) ESB; Sean Hogan, Treasurer, TRUST; Alice Leahy, Director & Co-Founder TRUST; Padraig McManus, Chief Executive of ESB which supported event; Jasper Murphy, MacCarthy’s Hotel, Fethard; John Leahy, Mullinahone; Joe Dowling, TRUST; and Geraldine McAuliffe, Deputy Director, TRUST.

Frank Purcell, a leading supporter of TRUST passed away suddenly last year and Alice Leahy, Director and Co-Founder congratulated his friends in continuing in his memory the Golf Classic which he co-founded to support the work of the organization and for making it such a tremendous success.

Describing this support as vital to enable to TRUST to continue its work for people who find themselves homeless, Alice Leahy also emphasized that it is also vital in “allowing TRUST the independence to defend those who are the voiceless in Irish society and have no one to speak out on their behalf.”

The €25,000 raised at the event was presented to Alice at a special function in TRUST recently by two organising committee members Vincent “Jasper” Murphy and John Leahy both from Fethard.

Accepting the cheque Alice Leahy said: “I could not think of a more appropriate tribute to Frank than to continue in his memory the Golf Classic he co-founded for us and applaud his friends for this very special initiative. He was a great friend and a real support – someone who had real empathy for the outsiders in our society. For me personally this strong support from the place where I grew up, and in a real sense still consider home, is also very heartening and a vote of confidence in our work which I know my colleagues appreciate as well.”

Vincent ‘Jasper’ Murphy, MacCarthy Hotel, Fethard who originally co-founded the Golf Classic with Frank said: “The Classic was Frank’s brainchild and we could think of no better way of carrying on his memory than calling the event after him. Its success speaks volumes for the kind of person he was and his spirit hopefully will continue to help TRUST given the enthusiasm for this initiative which I am confident will carry forward for many years to come.”

The Classic has raised 75,000 euro since its inception in 2003. The organising committee included Chris Coen, Vincent Woodlock and Brendan Kenny as well as Vincent “Jasper” Murphy and John Leahy.