A local business man has donated a total of €3,000 to the Excel Cinema to help fund repairs to the cinema equipment.
John O’Heney donated €500 in the name of his business O’Heney Safety and also secured a donation of €2,500 from Kingsbridge Private Hospital in Belfast.
Mr O’Heney established a relationship with the hospital last year and now regularly provides information, assessment clinics and transport for local people to make a range of health care services available to people on waiting lists via the National Treatment Purchase Fund.
This fund enables people to pay for approved healthcare abroad and be reimbursed by the HSE at a later date.
The Cinema in the Excel Centre in Tipperary town has been closed since June 15th as repairs to the server used to download and distribute films are estimated to cost at least €50,000 – possibly triple that figure.
Mr O’Heney today presented the funds to the Excel Centre Manager Mary Leahy and says he will continue to work with the Board of the Excel Arts & Cultural Centre including chairperson Elaine Fitzpatrick to raise additional funds.
Ms Niamh Moloney from Kingsbridge hospital also was present for today’s presentation as the hospital was holding an information clinic at the Excel building.
Mr O’Heney is encouraging others to join the efforts to re-open the Cinema by contacting him or the Excel Centre. The Board of Kingsbridge Private Hospital have also been praised by Mr O’Heney for supporting Tipperary town in what he calls “it’s time of need”.
