Ian O’Connell visited the club on Friday evening to take part in the weekly Share the Pot draw with promises of going to a BBQ afterwards , but little did he realise hidden at the other side of the building was a brand new 2020 wheelchair accessible vehicle waiting for him!
Ian turned 19 on Friday and certainly got a surprise when he came onto the pitch and saw his mom and dad sitting in the car with a group of extended family, friends and event representatives waiting for him.
Ian was the recipient of a wheelchair vehicle in 2018 when he was nominated as one of the beneficiaries of the KN Group All Ireland GAA Golf Challenge. The following year, he remained involved when he was asked to be an ambassador for the event.
And he definitely had no idea that some of the event organisers, including Liam Daniels, Derek McGrath, Mickey Morrissey, Sean Raher and car sponsors Jerry & Michael Lyng from Lyng Motors Kilkenny, were in Spa waiting for him on Friday night when he called to the club!
After the night Ian said “Going up to my beloved GAA Club Spa GAA thinking I was going to just do the lotto. Little did I know a brand new 202 van awaited me outside. A massive thank you to everyone involved especially to Michael Lyng Motors and everyone involved in the All Ireland Golf Challenge committee. There are no words to describe how grateful I am. It’s fair to say that I nearly stood up with the surprise. And thanks to Spa Gaa for making my Birthday that more special”
(Photos: Anne Holland)
