Sports fans will get a unique chance to own a slice of Galway hurling history – and in the process help underprivileged children in Africa – at a special night of music and dance which takes place in Oranmore on Friday week.

The memorabilia is part of a lifetime’s collection owned by former All-Star and All-Ireland winner Iggy Clarke, who with his wife Mariel, is committed to helping the refurbishment of a school for the blind in Ethiopia.

An auction of some of his prized possessions will be the centrepiece of a night of music and dance that takes place in the Oranmore Lodge Hotel on Friday week, November 24.

And it follows on from the success of a Golf Classic he organised in Loughrea golf club, which has already raised €6,500 for the Ethiopian project.

All of this goes to help a Galway charity called Building for Children which, since 2006, has worked abroad, building and refurbishing children’s accommodation in orphanages, hospitals and schools.

Driven by David Mulrooney from Ballygar, their current project is to fully renovate two dormitories for the Sebeta Blind School in Ethiopia for 80 blind and visually impaired girls and boys.

Mariel’s daughter Nicola was the first point of contact, having met David and listened to his passionate commitment to help – and she roped in Iggy and Mariel, who were only too happy to do their bit.

The night of music, organised by Mariel and featuring the talents of Carmel Dempsey and her band as well as the Hession School of Dancing, will be MCed by the inimitable Proinsias Kitt.

Proinsias will also oversee the auction, which will include Iggy’s number seven jersey from 1980 with most of that All-Ireland-winning team’s signatures on it – including the late Joe McDonagh, Niall McInerney, Finbar Gantley and John Ryan – and a pic of Iggy wearing it to go with it.

Note: An earlier version of this article (and the version that appeared in the Connacht Tribune) said that the concert was on Saturday week. It is in fact on Friday week. November 24 – and we apologise for causing confusion.

Caption: Iggy Clarke with some of the memorabilia set for auction. PHOTO: JOE O’SHAUGHNESSY.

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