An Ennis company has raised over €7,000 for Movember.
Tierney’s Office Automation, a leading IT provider within the hospitality sector in Ireland and the UK have lifted morale while also raising awareness of prostate cancer through its fundraising efforts in the month of November which has brought in over €7,500.
Remote working is now the practice for their 44 employees instead of travelling to their offices at the Quin Rd Industrial Estate in Ennis. By encouraging male members of staff to grow a moustache they reignited the office camaraderie and in the process benefited a worthy cause.
Members of staff would annually grow a moustache for Movember but Managing Director Andy Tierney explained that this year they put a strong emphasis on the campaign to try keep a unity among their employees.
Since 1982, Andy has had a beard but he shaved it for the first time this year to begin growing the moustache having contemplated the idea over recent years following the example set by Paudie Carmody of Lissycasey and Damien Howe from Galway. The difference between beard and moustache was not one he was overly fond of, “I felt my face was very cold when I was out walking. The first thing I’m doing tomorrow morning is to get rid of the moustache, I’ll have two days’ stubble tomorrow so I’m starting back on the beard and will hopefully have the beard in time for Christmas”.
His own experience of prostate cancer and that of a close friend prompted him to get involved. “I had my own prostate removed in 2007, I’ve made a full recovery and I thought about it again this year because a good friend of mine had his removed earlier this year. Every man would eventually get prostate cancer if they lived long enough. The sad thing about it is that if it is looked after it is the most curable of all the cancers a man can get but you have to look after yourself. This charity is close to my heart,” he told The Clare Echo.
Fortunately Andy’s diagnosis was detected early which allowed him to make a swift recovery thirteen years ago. He welcomed the improvements in the research on the cancer over the intervening years, “If I was diagnosed now with the same level I wouldn’t have had to have my prostate removed because there is better treatments now and that all is because of the research that is going on. It is good that other people will be able to benefit from what we are doing”. It is why he is very pleased with their efforts as he knows what additional research can do.
Female members of staff also played their part, particularly Renae Downes on the organisation side of things. Andy is particularly grateful for the donations given the tough economic year that 2020 has been. “We weren’t expecting a lot. We’re very lucky that we are all working and we’re all getting paid. A lot of our businesses in the hospitality industry are decimated, there is a lot of them unemployed, there was an awful lot of five or ten euros from people who didn’t have five or ten euro this year. We’re a great country for raising money”.
Reflecting on their efforts, the Ennis man appealed to men to check their prostate once a year. “It was a good exercise, we’re really delighted with what we have raised and we know it is going to a very good cause, hopefully all men will look after themselves. I know from past experience, once you are over forty get your prostate checked, it is a very simple blood test and get it checked once a year, the earlier it is detected especially with today’s technology, the less invasive it is going to be and it is the most curable of all cancers if it is caught on time”.
