Dublin GAA club launch website for student injured in Berkeley

For the past ten days since the terrible tragedy which occurred in Berkeley and led to the death of six young Irish students, communities up and down the country have come together to help those affected.

Now, a Dublin GAA club have banded together to gather support for one of their members.

Jack Halpin from Rathmines was one of the seven people dangerously injured during the balcony collapse. Medical staff in California have described his condition at the moment as ‘fair’. The 21-year old had just completed a commerce degree from UCD.

Jack is a member of the Templeogue GAA club and has been playing hurling and fooball with them since he was at under-age level. He’s been known to be a great player and lover of both sports and represented Dublin when he was a younger player.

The website ‘Judes for Jack’ was created by members of the club with the aim of raising funds to help those affected by the deadly accident in Berkeley.

Jack’s family are heavily involved with the club and coached several of the teams. A spokesperson for the club said that:

 “Communities throughout the country have thousands of Jack Halpins with hopes and dreams of a bright and shining future in career and sport and in love and friendship, unmarred by thoughts of tragedy and loss, such as that inflicted recently on those young lives in California.”

The fundraising website hopes to offer support for Jack and others as they recover from their injuries and they wish for “communities to show that none of us as individuals needs ever feel alone.”

The website reads:

“Jack, among others of his friends, has sustained serious injuries which will involve periods of hospitalisation and recuperation and recovery, which we hope will be timely and completely successful and will allow Jack to return, fully restored, to the bosom of his family and his people.”

The club have made a touching gesture at such a difficult time.