It could be said that Soother the calf has been bringing home the bacon – because the top prize in a raffle organised by Transition Year students in Ballinasloe has earned a small fortune for a local cancer charity…and he isn’t finished yet.

The girls at Ardscoil Mhuire wanted to do their bit for East Galway and Midlands Cancer Support – so they first raised the money to buy the calf by selling ice cream, and they then sold tickets for a raffle during the town’s historic Fair.

However there was another twist or two in this calf’s tail, because when Soother was won by local priest, Fr John Garvey, he took the cash alternative of €100 instead – and promptly donated it to the cancer charity pot.

On top of that, the driving force behind the project, Caoimhe Dunne, had become particularly fond of the animal – so her father bought Soother, and he too put the money back into the fund.

That meant that the calf bought for €300 from the proceeds of ice cream sales – and named Soother by Caoimhe herself – ended up raising almost 13 times that amount that to the generosity of the ticket-buyers, the winners, the sponsors of other prizes, and the students themselves.

So this week, Caoimhe and her TY colleagues Orla Kenny, Sophie Flynn, Lalitah Geraghty, Alisha Hanlon, Rebecca Bleahen, Erin Brogan, Emma Mulry and Kayla McKeon, with their class co-ordinator Angela Cusack and Ardscoil Mhuire Principal, Pauric Hanlon, presented a cheque to Jacqueline Daly and Anna O’Bara of East Galway and Midlands Cancer Support.

And while the big cheque read that the amount raised was over €3,600, that figure was out of date before the ink was dry – because it hit €3,820 by the time the school wrapped up the project.

“Even Soother enjoyed his day in school again – although he did manage to get away momentarily and had to be chased by our Principal,” said Angela.

But the more serious point is the work that went into organising the raffle from start to finish – and the difference it will make to a deserving cause on their doorstep.

“This experience really has made their TY year so far and has created memories they will always remember,” said Angela.