Nothing Mickey Mouse about Wexford club's novel fundraising
August 28, 2014
Winner alright, winner alright.
A GAA club in Co. Wexford has come up with a novel way to raise much-needed funds.
Members of the Tara Rock GAA club in the north of the county organised a 'Live Mouse Race and Grand National' last Friday night which, combined with a previous race, has boosted their coffers to the tune of €6,000.
The 'competing' mice are placed on a timber board which is divided into 10 numbered lanes. The first mouse to reach the end of the board is declared the winner.
"Up to four people are allowed to put €5 on the same mouse in a race," Tara Rock secretary Catherine Breen explained to the Irish Examiner.
"There are 10 mice in a race so that equates to 40 people putting money on one race, which provides €200 per race. We had 10 races on Friday night so that gives you €2,000.
"Pasty Fortune, a local man, provides the mice. He breeds the mice himself. He has been using them specifically for these mice races. He brought them in a bucket to the pub on Friday night, took them out by their tail and put them into their respective slots. None of the mice sought to scurry away when being taken from the box onto the track, instead you had them resting on Patsy's shoulder.
"People were enthralled by the races and the whole idea. It is just so unique and so unusual. We had a great crowd and I expect this idea will mushroom."
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