Major jailbreak planned from the Old Courthouse in Lifford

For the first time in over 100 years, prisoners will return to the jail cells in the Lifford Old Courthouse...but it's all for a good cause!

The venue has just announced details of its upcoming charity fundraiser called, Jailbreak!

Taking place on Friday, April 29, Jailbreak will see 13 well-known Donegal faces spend the night in the cells to raise money for their chosen charities.

The 'prisoners are: former nurse and TV personality, Grainne Gallanagh; boxing champ, Jason Quigley and his partner, marketing executive, April McManus; Erin McGinty, teacher, and holder of the popular Instagram account @coolestplaceontheplanet; entertainer and recently a Glor Tire contestant, Kenny Crawford, former Irish Olympic team manager Patsy McGonagle of Finn Valley AC; The Viking Dippers namely Paddy Browne, Frank Power and Bobby Roberts; social media guru, Caoimhe Harkin; Around the North-West show host John Breslin from Highland Radio; Rachel McLaughlin, Editor with Donegal Woman and Johnny Loughrey founder of the No Barriers Foundation.

The organisers are very grateful for the folk agreeing to take part!

To be released they'll have to raise bail money! To donate now and help them reach their target head over to: www.idonate.ie/jailbreak2022

All proceeds will go directly to the chosen charity of each prisoner.

Pictured along with Gillian Graham and Patrick McHugh from Lifford Old Courthouse are in-mates (l-r) Johnny Loughrey, Bobby Roberts, Paddy Browne, Frank Power, Jason Quigley, April McManus, John Breslin, Rachel McLaughlin, Grainne Gallanagh and Kenny Crawford. Missing in-mates include Caoimhe Harkin, Erin McGinty and Patsy McGonagle  

The event has been made possible under the ARISE Programme, an awareness-raising campaign for social enterprises throughout Ireland and has been approved by Government with support from the Dormant Accounts Fund.

"We here at Lifford Old Courthouse operate as a social enterprise. A social enterprise is a business that works primarily to improve the lives of people.

"A social enterprise is a business that operates to meet a social need. Social enterprises generate profits that are reinvested, rather than distributed among shareholders, as in the case of most businesses.

"Social enterprises sustain jobs and communities all over Ireland and this event is a great way to showcase the important work that social enterprises do," said a spokesperson for the organisers.