Connacht Tribune
Loughrea ex-pat leaves lasting legacy in adopted city with help of ex-colleagues
A Galway man who spent most of his life as a tyre worker in the English Midlands is doing his bit on a number of fronts to make life better for so many in his adopted home city of Wolverhampton.
Cyril Barrett, who is originally from Cross Street in Loughrea, is the Chairman/Trustee of the 5/344 Transport and General Workers Union Benevolent Fund Charity – a group entirely comprised of ex-Goodyear workers.
That plant closed in June 2015 – but since then Cyril and his colleagues have completed over 120 projects, supporting more than 40 charities, in Wolverhampton – all funded by these ex-union members.
And they’ve just added two more in perfect time for Christmas – co-funding a vital piece of medical equipment for the breast care unit at Wolverhampton New Cross Hospital, and then purchasing over 300 family meals for two local food band charities in the city.
“As a child I was lucky to have wonderful Christmases,” said Cyril, “and I hope in some way these family meals will put a smile of relief to families that are facing difficult times.”
His ex-Goodyear colleagues joined with former Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Phil Parkes to donate over £30,000 to fund equipment to help Wolverhampton breast care patients.
Phil’s wife died from cancer – and the Maureen Parkes Breast Care Fund was established in her memory.
The money raised has been used to buy three lipomodelling pieces of equipment
Lipomodelling – or fat grafting – is the process of relocating fat to improve the shape, volume, consistency and profile of breast tissue, which is widely applied following breast cancer surgery.
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) previously had only one such machine – which was also funded by the 5/344 TGWU Benevolent Scheme – but having only one restricted the number of cases that could be done as the handsets must be sterilised after each procedure.
“This was a truly special day,” said Cyril.
“Two organisations have joined forces to buy pieces of equipment to improve the health and wellbeing of patients.
“The community will benefit, and this will fit in with the plan we have got to leave a fitting legacy for the people of Wolverhampton and the surrounding area.
“We as an organisation have spent over £400,000 on buying equipment for the Trust because we believe passionately in the NHS and the work you do.
“I recall meeting Sheila Edwards, Trustee of the Maureen Parkes Breast Care Fund, years ago and her bending my ear for biopsy guns and you got two that time!
“She’s a very persuasive lady and is determined to do whatever she can to get projects done to benefit patients in memory of Maureen Parkes.”
Sheila was a Healthcare Assistant on the Breast Care Unit before retiring last year after 43 years’ service with the NHS.
During her long career, Sheila helped care for Maureen, and the pair became close friends. Having beaten breast cancer in 1995, Maureen set up the Maureen Parkes Breast Cancer Fund, before she sadly passed away with stomach cancer in April 2010 at the age of 62.
“We’re delighted to be able to provide this equipment and know it will benefit breast care patients. Maureen would be proud to know it how it has helped people from the local area,” Phil told local media at the unveiling.
Cyril – who is one of 13 children and whose brothers Oliver, Matt, Tom and Charlie and their extended families still live in Loughrea – is very proud of his Galway roots and upbringing, which he credits for his continuing work to this day.
“We as a family were brought up well by James and Annie Barrett, Cross Street Loughrea; they taught us to be decent,” he said.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
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Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
