The work of a Kilkenny priest who devoted his life to the care of the poor, the hungry and the displaced, is to be supported by a new organisation which has just been formed in North Kilkenny and South Laois.
The aim of the group is to ensure that the international relief work initiated by the late Father Kevin Doheny continues into the future.
The group was established as a result of a celebration of the priest’s life which was attended by almost 500 people in Ballyouskill in July.
Father Kevin was born in 1925 in nearby Ballinalacken into a family that gave five children to the service of God, including his brother Father Mike who was a fellow missionary.
Apart from his epic work with refugees during the Biafran War, Fr Kevin will be best remembered for founding the international relief organisation Refugee Trust – now known as Vita - under the patronage of his great friend Mother Theresa.
The Friends of Fr Kevin have been meeting regularly since early October and several fund-raising projects for Vita are already underway with many more in the pipeline.
A very interesting project, particularly in the run-up to Christmas, is the sale of attractive personalised cards for a unique stove scheme for families in Eritrea.
The stove has been specially developed for Vita, and most of the parts for the unit can be manufactured in the villages themselves.
The stoves operate with incredible efficiency, burning only a small amount of timber. They can even operate efficiently on scrub wood. And smoke is eliminated from the family huts improving the health of family members.
Another very significant advantage of the stove is that it helps to reduce incidents of rape as village women, the traditional fuel-gatherers, can find combustible materials close to their homes rather than travelling out long distances to collect the timber required for more traditional fires. The cost of providing the stove is a mere €20.
Other fund-raisers being planned include a concert by Father Liam Lawton, bag packing in supermarkets, a golf classic and a hunt.
The officers of the new group are: Chairman, Frank Brennan; Vice-Chairman, Henry Mooney; Secretary, Patricia Doheny; Assistant Secretary, Noel Cummins; Treasurers, John Lacey and Patsy Coady; PRO, Kathleen Mooney.
The committee members include Sean and Jacqueline Doheny, Seamus Nolan, Jim Delaney, Patrick Dunne, Clara Mulhall, Grace Rothwell, Daire Rothwell, Shonagh Doheny, Martin Walsh, Mary Brennan, Zoe Doheny, Michael Foley, Noel Cummins, Maria Walsh, Orlath Walsh, Joan Ryan and Nuala Kenny.
