Dundalk man on a bike issues touching gesture to 'patriot's grave restoration fund

placeholder image — 'Further to the recent letter published in The Dundalk Democrat, regarding the late Peadar O Dubhda'.

Letter

Further to the recent letter published in The Dundalk Democrat, regarding the late Peadar O Dubhda, and a memorial in his honour and the O Dubhda family grave restoration, while in Dundalk town last Saturday I was waved down by a ‘man on a bike’ A small man with a big heart.

Bearded with a propensity for lots of grey hair on his chin, but very little on his head, the gentleman managed to shout at me to stop while riding his bicycle AND smoking a rather large cigar. Panting and puffing he warned me not to insult him while he rustled through his pockets.

The first pocket contained a €5 note. He put it back. The next pocket he produced a €10 note. That too went back and then another pocket with a €20 note followed the same route. Finally, a fresh, crisp and just off the press, €50 note. Put that towards the ‘Peadar O Dubhda project’. Hugely emotional and bursting with pride I watched this old-age pensioner cycle off.

I mused that what you ‘give with your heart, you never miss’. Pride in one’s homeplace? On returning home I realised what a magnificent gesture that was. A fifth of his pension!

With the lockdown still with us, pubs closed, bookmakers shut, travel restricted, no continental holidays, restaurants and retail shops out of bounds for now, what if everybody followed the example and found that little bit extra that they may not miss?