December 16, 2011
Mayo Cancer Support Mission Statement:
To provide emotional and practical help to people with cancer, their families & friends.
The Organisation is 12 years in existence. Over the past three years we have had an average of 150 referrals per year and an average of 1,500 attendances per year for various services.
The services provided from the Centre are:
- Professional Counselling Service
- Drop in Listening Service 5 days per week from 9.30-5.00pm
- Complementary Therapies such as Massage, Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Manual Lymph Drainage, Bra/Prosthesis
- Support Groups – Men’s Group, Bereavement Support, Stress Management.
- Group Therapies – Yoga, Mindfulness, Writing, Art, Social Events, Style & Image.
All services are provided free of Charge. We are a voluntary Organisation made up of a Management Committee, Manager and a trained staff supported by volunteers.
Mayo Cancer Support is Affiliated to the Irish Cancer Society.
Always open to the idea of developing new support services to meet the needs of people. Referrals come from the hospitals, G.P’s, Public Health Nurses and self referral. For therapies we require consent from the G.P. or Consultant. We are hoping that we will encourage more people to avail of the services on offer. It is an established fact that support such as complementary therapies, counselling and peer support help in recovery and support the family during illness.
We have a close working relationship with Mayo General Hospital and other hospitals. We receive funding from the HSE, the Irish Cancer Society and the Family Support Agency. However our Main income comes from the public.
December 1, 2011
Curves, Fitness & Weight Management Club presenting a cheque for €1,200 to Breege Walsh of Mayo Cancer Support, Rock Rose House. The money was collected during October Cancer Awareness Month.
November 30, 2011
Amy Kenny and Carol Devaney Castlebar, presenting cheque for €518 to Eugene Connolly and Tommy Ginley, of Mayo Cancer Suport Rock Rose House, Castlebar, proceeds of “FlashMob” fundraising.
October 14, 2011
Pictured at the presentation of a cheque for €8,045, to Mayo Cancer Support Association, proceeds from the Alpine Challenge.
September 28, 2011
The A.G.M. of Mayo Cancer Support Association, Rock Rose House took place in May 2011 and the Committee are pleased to announce that a number of new members have come on board. The new Chairperson is Mr. Joe Staunton, Treasurer is Mr. Eugene Connolly and the Secretary is Ms. Florence Devane. Other Management Committee members are Seamus Moran, Mary McDonagh, Helen Rose, John Tiernan, Tommy Ginley, Finola O’Healai, Anne Duffy, Enda McDonagh, Marcella Ryan, Maureen Walsh and Martina Ginley. This year we are delighted to welcome Joe Johnston as patron of the Association.
Pictured at a recent meeting of the Management Committee
Left to Right Back Row: Seamus Moran, Mary McDonagh, Helen Rose, John Tiernan, Angela Kirrane- Manager of Services, and Tommy Ginley. Left to Right Front Row. Finola O’Heala, Anne Duffy, Joe Staunton, Florence Devane, Eugene Connolly. Missing from photo: Joe Johnston and Enda McDonagh.
The members of the committe come with a wide range of experience which will be of great benefit to the Association. Joe Staunton is a retired Superintendant of the Garda Siochanna and he works with the Mental Health Commission and the Diocesan Safeguarding Children Committee. Eugene Connolly worked with the HSE as the Senior Administrator until his retirement earlier this year. Mr. Joe Johnston is a retired Conultant Surgeon from Mayo General Hospital. Enda McDonagh is past President of Castlebar Lions Club and is currently Manager at Bank of Ireland, Castlebar. The Association is fortunate that all the other members have a long association with Mayo Cancer Support and in some cases are founder members. All of them have been affected by cancer in some way and are committed to supporting all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. The service continues to go from strength to strength and is available free of charge, Monday to Friday. A Professional counselling service, A Drop In Listening Service, Complementary Therapies, Workshops and Relaxation activities are on offer. An outreach service is provided from the Family Support Centre in Ballina on Tuesday mornings from 10 to 1 p.m.
For further details on any of the services please contact Mayo Cancer Support Association at 094 90 38407
September 28, 2011
Marcella and Maurice McDonnell, Ballyvary, presenting a cheque for
€3005 to Angela Kirrane, Services manager, Mayo Cancer Support
Association. Included in photo are Yvette O’Malley, Personnel manager
Tesco Castlebar and Seamus McGowan, Store Manager, Tesco, Castlebar.
Marcella had her hair shaved at Tesco Castlebar on Friday 8th July to raise funds for Mayo Cancer Support Association. Marcella, together with her friends and neighbours entertained the customers, staff and management with live music, craic and drama culminating in the raising of €3,005.00.
Mayo Cancer Support Association sincerely thanks Marcella and her family for this brave gesture undertaken with great dignity and regard for all those affected by cancer.
September 14, 2011
With all the doom and gloom around it is heartening every once in a while to have our spirits lifted by the goodness and generosity of our young people who have so much concern and empathy for those who need support at difficult times. Such was the case when a group of young people from Breaffy, Castlebar, Partry and the hinterlands met with Angela Kirrane, Manager of Services at Mayo Cancer Support Association, Rock Rose House.
They said “So many of our friends are affected by cancer, we feel we have to do something” And do something they did. Their fundraising idea was aptly called “Banter to Fight Cancer” They walked the walk and talked the talk, had their hair shaved, legs, chests waxed, visited businesses, wrote letters and went door to door to maximise the effect of their campaign. They took buckets, bibs, got permits and in the process they entertained and delighted the people of Castlebar with a day and night of fun, music, good food and above all support and empathy to all those whose lives have been affected by cancer.
They raised a whopping €13,500.00 for Mayo Cancer Support Association, Rock Rose House so that all those who need the support and care offered can be guaranteed this service free of charge. While they move on to their respective colleges and places of employment we are left with a feeling of encouragement in the work that we do for patients, families and friends affected by cancer and we will cherish this into the future.
Presenting a Cheque for €13,500 to Joe Staunton Chairperson Mayo Cancer Support Association, from left Laura Gibbons, Partry, Sinead O’Donohue, Castlebar; Susan Timothy, Breaffy, Paul Heneghan, Breaffy, Joe Staunton Chairperson Mayo Cancer Support Association, Katie Tuohy, Castlebar, Ita Heneghan Breaffy and Angela Kirrane, Manager of Services Rock Rose House, Castlebar
March 9, 2011
It was a great shock to everybody in Rock Rose House to come to work one day and find the furniture from their beautiful tranquillity garden had disappeared without a trace. There was a air of gloom around that anybody could take the furniture from such a centre. However it was a great surprise to all concerned when the Governor of Castlerea, who happened to be listening to an interview with the Manager of Services Angela Kirrane contacted them to say that the prison would donate furniture to replace what had been taken. The original furniture was made by the prisoners and was unique and irreplaceable. We are happy to say that the furniture is fi tting in well with everything and was greatly admired at a recent barbeque and music evening at Rock Rose House.
March 9, 2011
Under the chairmanship of Anne Duffy the organisation undertook workshops and information days some of which were specifi c to cancer types. Many of the courses and activities were geared towards family members as well as the patient. Our weekly service includes the Drop In Listening Service, Massage, Refl exology, Professional Counselling.
A new addition to this programme has been Manual Lymph Drainage. All of the therapies are complementary and are recognised as being benefi cial in the recovery process. The therapies are also of great benefi t to people who are looking after and supporting a loved one on their cancer journey. The Drop In Listening Service is a lifeline for people who have had a diagnosis and feel alone and isolated in their stress. It is a place to go to talk about your fears and worries and to leave them after you when to go about your daily life. The service is extremely confi dential and all of the people working in the Centre have been trained. A Professional Counselling service is also available every Wednesday. For family members the Drop In Service is hugely benefi cial because they have their own concerns around the illness and very often do not wish to express it to their loved ones. Again it is a place where all of these stresses can be talked over and left behind. Very often it is good to have a therapy booked so that when you have dealt with the emotional stuff you can then have a nice relaxing therapy to restore you as you go out to meet the challenges of life.
November 2, 2010
You can now donate your old mobile phones to raise funds for Mayo Cancer Support Association. Phones may be dropped in to any C&C Cellular branch or to Mayo Cancer Support Association, 32 St. Patrick’s Avenue, Castlebar. Your old mobile phone will be sold on to raise funds. If you would like more information on all participating drop in centres, please telephone 094 9038407 or
