FORAS x Sultans of Ping football jersey raises over €10,000 for Down Syndrome Charity

Pictured at the Field of Dreams in Curraheen are FORAS chairman Darren O’Keeffe, FORAS member and Sultans of Ping drummer Morty McCarthy, Nikky Slattery, operations manager at Down Syndrome Cork’s Field of Dreams, and FORAS board member Joe Leogue.

• Cork City FC supporters group raises €10,163 for Down Syndrome Charity
• Special limited jersey pays tribute to iconic rockers Sultans of Ping
• Phenomenal demand sees volunteer group ship jerseys to 15 countries around the world

A limited edition jersey by football supporters trust FORAS, which pays tribute to iconic rock band the Sultans of Ping, has raised over €10,000 for a Cork-based Down Syndrome charity.

The Board of FORAS (Friends of the Rebel Army Society) joined with Sultans drummer Morty McCarthy to present a cheque for €10,163 to Down Syndrome Ireland Cork at the Field of Dreams in Curraheen.

An Irish industrial and provident society, FORAS owned Cork City FC from 2010 to 2023. It now acts as a representative voice for City supporters, meeting with the club quarterly to give fans’ feedback and input. FORAS also arranges match screenings and social nights for City supporters, and supports grassroots football in Cork, sponsoring a number of schoolboys’ and schoolgirls’ competitions.

Down Syndrome Cork Field of Dreams is a branch of Down Syndrome Ireland. A horticultural site, the Field of Dreams specialises in further education, and preparation for entering the workplace.

Courses run from the Field of Dreams are designed specifically for adults to provide them with the skills and experience needed to reach their potential.

The one-off striped O’Neill’s shirt is in the green and red FORAS colours, emblazoned with The Sultans of Ping logo across the chest and an embroidered FORAS logo as its badge.

FORAS Chairman Darren O’Keeffe said demand for the shirt was huge when announced last October, with orders coming in from over a dozen countries around the world.

In total, orders for the jersey were placed across 15 countries; Ireland, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 

“The response to the jersey was phenomenal. We had a much smaller target in mind in terms of how much we were hoping to raise – within an hour of orders going live we realised our expectations were far too modest.

“There are six of us on the board and we had a few very busy weeks, from managing orders and requests to working with O’Neill’s to produce the jerseys. We had boxes of shirts stored in our houses and spare rooms were turned into mail processing centres – we bagged, tagged, and posted each and every order ourselves.

“It was a lot of work, but the support we received was fantastic. From the band backing the idea, to our families rolling up their sleeves and getting stuck in to help us ship out the orders, a lot of people got behind us.

“I also want to thank photographer Clare Keogh for taking our launch photos and our models Grace Kennedy, Molly Houlihan, Paul Fitzgerald, and Richard Creedon. Our former chairman and webmaster Declan Carey kept the show on the road when our site struggled with the demand. To every media outlet, TV show, radio show, podcast, website and more who helped spread the word, we are deeply grateful – as we are to the many, many people who supported the cause and bought a shirt, thank you all,” he said.

The official launch of the jersey was held in Coughlan’s Bar on Douglas Street – where the first prototype of the jersey hangs framed on the wall, signed by the Sultans of Ping.

“Coughlan’s have always been great supporters of FORAS. They screen City’s away matches for those who aren’t travelling to the game and have hosted a number of FORAS events over the past couple of years,” Darren explained.

Nikky Slattery, operations manager at Down Syndrome Cork’s Field of Dreams said:

“We are deeply grateful to both Foras and the Sultans of Ping for this tremendous show of support for our organisation. The funds raised will have a lasting and meaningful impact on our members and their families.

“Down Syndrome Ireland Cork at the Field of Dreams supports over 400 members across Cork city and county. Our services include speech and language therapy, early intervention, further education, employment support, social activities, horticulture and family and parental support.

“This donation will help fund three key programmes: an upgrade to our charity shop, which underpins a retail training programme for adult members; updating laptops for students taking part in our education programmes; and continued support for our Employment Support Team, who guide adult members seeking or currently in employment,” she said.

Morty McCarthy of the Sultans of Ping and FORAS member said:

“We were delighted to partner with FORAS in making the jersey to support such a great cause. It’s fantastic that so many people far and wide bought the jersey and helped us raise so much money for Field Of Dreams.”

To learn more about FORAS see forastrust.ie/join.