MDL postpones games to support hospital rally

Meath & District League (MDL) secretary Gerry Gorman has called for a massive show of support for Saturday’s public rally in aid of Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan. The show of support is planned to take place from Navan Enterprise Centre on Saturday, 3.0 and Gorman confirmed to the Meath Chronicle this week that all games which were scheduled for Saturday have been postponed. “We discussed this matter at our meeting last week and the executive committee unanimously decided to leave Saturday free of fixtures to enable players, club officials and referees to attend the rally,” commented Gorman. “The downgrading and possible closure of the hospital should not be seen as just a concern for Meath and we are expecting support from our clubs in Louth, Cavan and Monaghan also. “The knock-on effect of a closure will put massive extra pressure on the Lourdes hospital in Drogheda, so it is certainly as much in the interests of the people of Drogheda, east Meath, and mid-Louth that the vital services are maintained in Our Lady’s in Navan. “Saturday’s rally will have a family-friendly atmosphere, with a very serious message for the Health Service Executive (HSE) to maintain services at Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan,” added the MDL secretary. Anyone intending to participate in the rally should meet at the Enterprise Centre and walk to the hospital as directed by the organisers. “This rally will show the HSE how we need to keep the hospital in Navan open,” added Gorman. “It’s not too late to show what people-power can achieve and we should all, collectively, make every effort to attend the event. The chief organiser of the rally is Paddy Pryle who is looking forward to a good turn-out on Saturday. “When this facility is gone it will be gone with no return possible, so it is now the responsibility of everybody to keep it open,” commented Pryle.