Celtic supporters from Co  Laois, Carlow and Kildare to sleep out for charitiessupporters to sleep out for charities

CELTIC supporters from Carlow, Kildare and Laois will spend a night outdoors in Graiguecullen later this month to raise funds for charity, including St Clare’s Hospitality Kitchen in Carlow.

The Celtic Sleep Out Ireland, organised by the Celtic FC Foundation, takes place on Friday 13 November at The Meadows, home of St Patrick’s AFC. Participants will sleep out from 9pm to 5am.

Twenty-five people will take part: 13 members of Graiguecullen’s Croppy Bhoys Celtic Supporters Club (CSC), along with 12 from CSCs across Kildare and Laois.

Funds raised will go to three charities: Women’s Aid in Dublin, Women’s Aid in Belfast and St Clare’s Hospitality Kitchen.

John Power, a committee member of the Croppy Bhoys CSC, said the foundation is well known as the charitable side of the club.

“It’s not just sleep-outs, they do all sorts of things, but for years they were doing a sleep-out every year in Glasgow and a sleep-out in London and about five years ago Ireland came on board,” he said.

“The Croppy Bhoys CSC has the honour of hosting it in Ireland this year, and all monies raised by us will be spent here in Ireland,” he added.

As for the mid-November weather, he said: “I hope to jaysus we get good weather.” The Ireland leg of the sleep-out, previously held in Sligo, Donegal, Derry and Bray, is being co-ordinated by Mick Hurley, with on-the-ground support from the Croppy Bhoys, who have been going since 2003. Supporters’ clubs backing the event also include Laois CSC, Cill Droichead Bhoys CSC Kildare, North Kildare CSC and Kildare South CSC, along with the Association of Irish Celtic Supporters’ Clubs.

Donations can be made through the Celtic FC Foundation website at https://charity.celticfc.com.