Fundraising night this weekend to aid Falcarragh widow left homeless by housefire

A fundraising night will take place on Saturday to aid a Falcarragh who was left homeless following a recent housefire.

Kathleen Barrett lost her house and her possession when a fire tore through her home on Ballyconnell Road in Falcarragh.

The blaze on January 23, on the eve of Storm Éowyn on, came not lomng after Kathleen, who is 71, lost her beloved husband to cancer.

Her little dog, Collie, was saved by firefighters.

Kathleen spent some time in the intensive care unit of Letterkenny University Hospital and continues to make a recovery. She has been living in temporary accomodation and is awaiting confirmation of a suitable long-term residence.

This Saturday, ShamROCK for Kathleen will take place in the Shamrock Bar in Falcarragh. There will be music by Killing Time, Karl Simmons, Brian Farrell and friends.

Kathleen will also benefit from a scramble organised by Cloughaneely Golf Club on the same day.

Over €25,000 was raised in a GoFundMe set up by her niece, Maeve Barrett, in the aftermath of the fire and donations are still being accepted.

Maeve wrote: “She has been left with absolutely nothing not even a pair of socks. It either burned in the fire or is so badly smoke damaged, it’s unsalvageable.

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"Kathleen would and has done anything for anyone and it's just so sad after not long after losing her husband to cancer to be left with no home that she shared for most of her life with her husband…We are reaching out to the public for any small donation that will help to get her back on her feet and hopefully into ‘her own little corner’ in the near future.”