Deputy Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, Minister for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief, launched the Knights of St. Columbanus ‘Fresh Veggies for the Needy’ project.
Making a presentation of a basket of fresh vegetable produce - potatoes, cabbage, lettuce, peas, onions, scallions, tomatoes,courgettes, leeks, parsley, celery and spinach, all grown at the members’ allotment, Minister Moran noted the worthy initiative devised by the Knights of St. Columbanus board members.
Ray Joyce welcomed the Minister and said he was a loyal supporter to Athlone and its community and thanked him for coming to visit the project.
In reply, the Minister said that this venture was quite unique in helping others and he praised the Knights of St Columbanus for taking on this task. Minister Moran said that he was not aware of a similar project anyplace and called on other organisation to consider doing the same. He paid tribute to Simon Community for doing trojan work for the needy.
The project was organised by Martin Byrne and Padraic Dunne assisted by David Fenton and Peter Agbanobi. The organisers would like to pay special thanks to Seamus Mitchell, Horticulture Department, National Learning network, Athlone, who provided much needed vegetable plants to the Knights for the project.
Padraic Dunne paid special thanks to Eamon Braiden, proprietor of the allotment, adding that Eamon did everything possible to assist the work at all times.
