A close shave for charity

By Stuart Tynan

TWO former gardaí are chopping their beards in order to raise funds for a valuable community group in the county town.

Jan Jordaan, a former garda in Westport and South Africa, and Michael Keane, who is chairman of the Castlebar Men's Shed, will have their chops taken off on Friday, September 4, by local hairdresser John Joe Derrig of Kay's Hairdressers, The Mall, Castlebar, with the money raised going to Castlebar Social Services, where Michael has been actively involved with for the past year and a half and they have set a target of €5,000.

Michael, who has been growing his beard since April 1, said: “I tried growing a beard in the '80s and it was a massive failure! I started growing it a few months back and people were telling me it looked well on me and I've been growing it now for the past four months.”

Of the decision to shave the beard off for charity, he added: “I was in An Garda Síochána where I was doing a lot of work not just in law and order, but with people who were down and out and in need of help.

“I do work with Castlebar Social Services on a Friday and Saturday morning with Meals on Wheels, which I have doing for a year and a half now and it's something I thought that could use a real help.”

Valued service

Joe Fenton, joint secretary of the Castlebar Men's Shed, also lends his time to the meals on wheels programme and admitted that as a result of Covid, it is now under considerable strain and saw this as a way to help a valuable local service.

“The requests for the number of meals from the service has trebled during Covid. That was why me and Mick felt so strongly about it as they are under so such pressure at the moment, too cook the food, serve the food and to get drivers to deliver the food” Joe said.

“The numbers have dropped back somewhat from its peak but it's still way up on what they were pre-Covid.

“That sold it to us that these people deserve a clap on the back financially after the phenomenal effort they have put in. The (Social Services) building is being done up at the minute which is costing a lot of money. They need as much assistance as possible.”

You can donate by going to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/shear-off

Pictured from left are the two men shaving their beards; Jan Jordaan and chairman of the Castlebar Men's Shed, Michael Keane.