Fundraising games in the Dome to support Mayo man's cancer treatment costs
A group of friends, former team-mates, work colleagues and Mayo club players are coming together on the GAA pitch to raise awareness of the Kieran Cawley treatment fund.
Kieran, from Crossmolina, was recently diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called cholangio carcinoma and a GoFundMe page has been set up to help with his treatment.
The games will take place in the NUI Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome on Saturday (January 29) in line with Covid-19 guidelines. Teams from Crossmolina Deel Rovers, An Garda Síochána, the Irish Prison Service and a Mayo club selection will face each other over the course of the evening.
The games in the ‘Dome’ will see some plenty of famous faces on show, such as Stephen Rochford, James Nallen, Cian Mackey, Kieran Fitzgerald, Peadar Gardiner and David Clarke, to name but a few.
The teams will be managed by four well-known GAA personalities: legendary GAA manager John Maughan, All-Ireland club winning manager Tom Jordan, and former Sligo and Roscommon greats Paul Durcan and Don Connellan.
The first game throws in at 5.30 p.m., with in-game clips and sideline snippets taking place throughout the evening on the Crossmolina Deel Rovers social media channels.
Kieran and the Cawley family have been involved in Crossmolina Deel Rovers GAA Club for many years and he is very active in the local community. He has been heavily involved in all sports, including Gaelic football, rugby and soccer. Kieran is a prison officer by profession with 13 years' service. He is currently employed in Castlerea Prison.
In August 2021 Kieran was refereeing a GAA match when he started feeling a pain in his side. He later sought medical attention as the pain was not going away. Initial diagnosis pointed at possible gallstones but the actuality was much worse – the pain was being caused by a blood clot in his liver due to cancer.
After undergoing multiple scans and procedures and enduring several agonising weeks awaiting results, Kieran was finally diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called cholangio carcinoma – cancer of the bile duct – in an advanced stage. This type of cancer is very rare and affects approximately 140 people in Ireland annually, and usually people over the age of 65.
Kieran commenced chemotherapy shortly after diagnosis in September but became unwell in November and was admitted to hospital for a week, where it was discovered that the chemotherapy had not worked. Treatment options in Ireland are limited and therefore Kieran’s family have reached out to other specialists in Ireland, the UK and America.
There has been a fantastic response to the fundraising campaign to date. It is hoped these games will continue to increase awareness of the fundraising efforts and help Kieran get the treatment he needs.
All donations to support Kieran and his family can be made via GoFundMe by searching 'Kieran Cawley' or visiting https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-kieran-get-the-treatment-he-needs.