It was St Patrick’s Day babe
In the dunk tank
And a celebrity in front of me
Was given a good drenching
Pictures: Marie Carroll O’Sullivan
It was meant to be a fun-filled splash about for a good cause but there was a very deliberate look of intent and mischief in the eyes of several people who parted with hard-earned cash to make life a little bit more uncomfortable and miserable, momentarily at least, when they dispatched local politicians to the plunge pool.
Mayor of Killarney Maura Healy-Rae and her council colleagues Niall O’Callaghan, Niall Kelleher, John O’Donoghue and Martin Grady were all ruthlessly dropped into the icy water on St Patrick’s Day but they took it in good spirits knowing it was for a good cause.
The novel Plunge for Palliative initiative was a key part of the St Patrick’s Festival in the town and there was no shortage of ball-tossers willing to pay to take a shot at sending them into the deep, open air pool located in the festival zone at the Beech Road car park.
While some plunge victims wore thermals, others opted for tracksuits and others even wore woolly hats, the bravest of them all was Cllr Niall ‘Botty’ O’Callaghan who stripped to a skimpy pair of shorts for the occasion although the roar he let out during his near dip-in-the-nip plunge would probably have been heard at the top of Carrauntoohil.
Local sports stars that volunteered to be sent to the dunk tank included Kerry captain Gavin White, Kerry GAA legend Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh and rally driver Paul Nagle while other familiar faces that got a right good soaking included Garda Gillian MacEoin, school principal Róisín Moore, DJs Brendan Fuller and Gavin O’Leary, businesswoman Grainne O’Sullivan, Killarney Celtic FC stalwart Mary Lyne and St Patrick’s Festival Chairman Jason Clifford.
It was all in a good cause, however, with all proceeds raised at the event going to the Kerry Hospice.
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