100 mowers to spearhead charity drive in Nobber

Up to 100 ride-on lawnmowers will be taken out for a collective drive by their owners next month - but not a blade of grass will be cut. The lawnmower men and women of Meath are banding together for a big charity drive on Sunday 17th October. Nobber is usually associated with tractor drives for charity but this time two local men decided on a different, if unusual, mode of transport to raise funds for St Mary's Special School in Johnstown, Navan. James Carolan of Carolan Coaches and Martin Tiernan are organising the event and hope to raise a sizeable sum for the special school through a "charge" of €20 on each lawnmower driver. The event will start in Nobber at 1pm and the mowers will travel via Castletown, Wilkinstown, with a 15-minute stop at Dougherty's filling station and shop, before turning back to Keogan's in Nobber for tea and refreshments. James Carolan said the organisers thought this is the first time that an event of its kind will be held. "We never thought of trying for the Guinness Book of Records but I suppose we could do that in a future event. When we came up with the idea, we thought we would have huge difficulties because the mowers were being taken out on the public road but we got huge co-operation from the Gardai in Nobber and the Superintendent in Navan. The one stipulation we have on entries is that all drivers of lawnmowwers must be over 18 years of age and we have to be very strict on that," he said. Further details can be obtained from James on (087) 252 7086 or Martin on (086) 304 1332.