Fundraising evening raises almost £5,000

Helen Magee (44), mother of two held the event at the Lurgan Golf Club for her husband Paul who died five months ago of pancreatic cancer.

A stay at Cartan House in Maynooth, Garth Brooks tickets and a rally driving experience were auctioned off, while a host of other prizes such as a Nike tee shirt, meals for two and a chocolate hamper were balloted on the night.

Their son Jack who celebrates his eighth birthday on Tuesday and daughter Holly (10), sold loom bands on the night which raised £80.

Steven Kennedy and Marie-Louise Barrie at the fundraising night held in memory of Paul Magee at Lurgan Golf Club on Saturday.

Paul (45) worked as an explosives engineer for Ulster Industrial Explosives was diagnosed on October 17 and died three months later on January 28 at the Cancer Centre at the City Hospital.

Helen a school teacher at Ballymacrickett Primary in Glenavy said, “It was a fantastic night and a great tribute to Paul. I could not get over the generosity of people.

“I wanted to do something positive in memory of Paul who died young. I felt the need to do something positive from such a tragic event.”

Paul, a keen golfer was club champion at Lurgan Golf Club at the end of September.

Paddy Lynn with his son Anthony at the fundraising night held at Lurgan Golf Club in memory of one of its golfers Paul Magee.

As he possessed an explosives licence he was asked to work on a film set - for a new Dracula film that was being shot at Strangford in October.

During the filming he rang Helen to tell her that he was suffering from  abdominal pain.

The following morning he went to Lagan Valley Hospital fearing a gall bladder problem but blood tests at his local GP showed there was a high count on his liver. He went to the Ulster Clinic where an ultra sound and MRi scan revealed that he had stage four cancer on his liver  and pancreas.

Despite stints to his liver and courses of chemotherapy he spent the remainder of his life at the cancer centre at the City Hospital where he died on January 28.

At the fundrasing night at Lurgan Golf Club to raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care in memory of Paul Magee who died earlier this year were Richard Moulds, Cara Lynn, Mary Kennedy and Kathleen Magee (Pauls mother)

“People are just so generous and when people who knew Paul heard what we were doing they went all out to help,” she said.

“I was surprised and amazed at just how generous people have been. I know there are a lot of lovely genuine people out there.

“No-one just knows when they are struck down. This time last year I did not know I was not going to have  a husband.

“It is a real reality check. You could be here one minute and then not the next.”