John's 80th birthday celebration raises £1,000 for Prostate Cancer charity

A STRABANE family has thanked friends and relations for raising almost £1,000 for a leading cancer research charity.

The charity - Prostate Cancer - said the money “will help fund research that will stop men dying too soon."

Eighty family members and friends gathered to celebrate the 80th birthday of former local school-teacher, John Curry.

Well-wishers from Strabane, Sion Mills and Clady were joined by visitors from Donegal Town, Sligo, Belfast, London and Sussex in England.

Goodwill messages were also sent by family and friends in Dublin, Edinburgh and Australia.

Instead of gifts, party-goers were asked to donate to the charity Prostate Cancer.

One in eight men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime.

The charity says its work has driven some of the biggest recent breakthroughs in prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment.

It also campaigns for a mass screening programme, so more cases can be detected and treated earlier.

Birthday well-wishers contributed £940 towards the charity’s work. Mr Curry said afterwards that he was “astonished but delighted” and thanked everyone for their “amazing generosity”.

He said it was “a perfect close to a really special night.”

His wife, Maeve, added her thanks, saying: “We are so grateful to so many people for making it a great celebration.”

Local cancer research scientist, Dr Niall Byrne - who is also Mr Curry’s son-in-law - said: "Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and every penny helps toward improving diagnosis and treatments for men with the disease”.

Dr Byrne is a senior cancer researcher in the School of Pharmacy at Queen’s University Belfast, investigating the use of gold nanoparticles to enhance radiotherapy treatment outcomes for prostate cancer.

He is one of many scientists whose work has been supported in the past by grants from the charity and added: “Northern Ireland is a world leader in innovative prostate cancer research and the delivery of ambitious clinical trials."

Prostate Cancer’s director of fundraising, Chris Jarrett, said the money raised would invest “in lifesaving research and help fund better tests, treatment and support for men and their families affected by prostate cancer"

The charity’s website offers a 30-second online test for men to check if they might be at risk from the cancer, at:

https://prostatecanceruk.org/risk-checker

Friends and relatives gathered for a meal and drinks at Murphy’s on the Green, in Bowling Green, Strabane.

Live musical entertainment was provided by the local group E-Squared, featuring Omagh-born guitarist Ed Byrne, and singer, Elaine Gallagher.

Mr Curry was a teacher at St Mary’s Boys’ Primary School in Melmount, and previously at St Patrick’s Primary School in Newtownstewart.

He also worked for the Strabane-based firm of turf accountants run by his uncle, the late Jim Patton.

He is well-known in local sporting circles, as was a long-standing member of Strabane Golf Club.