Victor wants to help club out of a hole

A heart-warming letter written by a seven-year-old Ratoath boy asking his club if they could hold a charity under-7 match to raise money for Magheracloone GAA Club has received a phenomenal reaction.

Victor Clarke (7) penned the letter on Sunday and touched the hearts of people in both clubs and beyond as he asked his local Ratoath Club if they had heard what happened Magheracloone's pitch and could Ratoath under sevens pay their under sevens in a charity match to help raise money for the club.
The kind-hearted gesture really touched a chord with the Monaghan Club, which has been devastated by the loss of their grounds and facilities after an underground mine collapsed just over a week ago.
Chairperson Francis Jones said it was “emotional really” and something they really didn't expect from such a young lad.
“We will be taking them up on that offer and the wheels are already in motion to organise a date and time,” he said.
Both clubs are now liaising to make Victor's idea a reality.
Victor's dad Roy explained that a family friend, Sean Fitzsimons, is a member of the Magheracloone Club and they had been following closely what had happened there. He told how Victor got the idea from a fundraiser Ratoath is doing where the Royals are playing the Dubs and he suggested they could do a charity under-7 match of Meath v Monaghan.

“I sent a WhatsApp of it to our club chairman and also to our friend in Monaghan. He rang an hour later to say he had sent it to his chairman and they put it on Twitter and it started to go viral." There was an immediate offer of €250 in sponsorship from Shane Kelly of Beko.
Ratoath Juvenile Club Chairman Martin Burns said what happened at Magheracloone had touched a lot of people in the club, and pointed out they have a lot of Monaghan connections including former goalkeeper Shane Duffy. They were wondering what they could do to help, and “here we have a seven-year-old showing the way,” he said.
“Since this went up, I have been taking nothing but calls asking if it is a runner. We have gone beyond can we do it, to how will we do it. It is one club helping another, I have no doubt we will do it.”

Victor Clarke holding his letter, with dad Roy, mother Róisín and younger brother Nicholas.