Lilywhites goalkeeper Peter Cherrie, along with community officer Liam Burns, paid a socially distant visit to the St John of God Venegas Centre in Dundalk last week.

Based on Hoey’s Lane, St John of God Venegas Centre provides support to people with intellectual disabilities and mental health issues.

The advent of COVID-19 meant that the centre had to close its doors for a spell in 2020 but it fully reopened last August and caters for users on a daily basis.

A Dundalk FC flag flies proudly on the centre’s grounds and manager Mary Claire McCourt said that the service users were thrilled to see Peter and Liam show up last week as part of the club’s ‘DFC In The Community’ programme.

“A lot of people who use our services would be big Dundalk FC fans and it really made their day having Peter and Liam at the centre last week,” said Mary.

“Before COVID, the club would always have paid visits to the centre with trophies and we have signed jersey from a few years back which takes pride of place in the centre. Liam and Peter donated another one last week which the service users were absolutely delighted with!”

The centre’s users cheered the Lilywhites on to victory in last Saturday’s Louth Derby with Drogheda United and Mary said that they were all looking forward to the day when they could get behind the team at Oriel Park.

“Our users are desperate to get back into the ground and watch the team again,” she said. “It has been a tough year for everyone but, step by step, we are getting there, and we are really looking forward to developing closer links with the club when the restrictions and the pandemic finally ease.”

For more information on St John of God Venegas Centre Dundalk, click here.