Sultans of Ping jersey raises over €10,000 for Down Syndrome Cork

An O’Neill’s shirt with a Sultans of Ping twist

A limited-edition football jersey dreamed up by Cork City supporters’ trust FORAS and the beloved indie band has raised more than €10,000 for a local Down Syndrome charity.

The Sultans of Ping collaboration is exactly the kind of grassroots, distinctly Irish story that shows what happens when a football community and a cult band pull in the same direction.

The Board of Friends of the Rebel Army Society teamed up with the Cork group, best known for the 1990s anthem Where’s Me Jumper, and raised €10,163 for Down Syndrome Cork’s Field of Dreams, a branch of Down Syndrome Ireland.

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 crest as its badge.

It is a neat marriage of two Cork institutions: the supporters’ trust that carries the flame for the Rebel Army, and a band whose cheerfully daft indie-pop became a soundtrack for a generation.

Interest was not confined to Leeside, either. Orders arrived from 15 countries, including Ireland, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Proof that Cork’s contribution to Ireland’s rich music scene still travels well beyond these shores.

For a shirt built on a gag about a missing jumper, the global reach was some going.

Where does the money go

The funds were presented at the Field of Dreams, a horticultural site in Curraheen that specialises in further education and preparation for entering the workplace.

It is a fitting home for the donation: the centre is at the heart of a service that supports more than 400 members across Cork city and county.

Nikky Slattery, operations manager at Down Syndrome Cork’s Field of Dreams, said the organisation’s work spans speech and language therapy, early intervention, further education, employment support, social activities, horticulture and family and parental support, and that the fundraiser would leave a genuine mark.

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.

As RTÉ reported, the money will fund three specific programmes: an upgrade to the charity shop that underpins a retail training scheme for adult members, as well as new laptops for students taking part in its education programmes.

Additionally, it will continue backing for the Employment Support Team that guides members seeking or already in work.

It is a reminder that some of the best charity efforts start small and local, a supporters’ trust, a hometown band and a striped jersey.

Not bad going for a jumper. This time, at least, everyone knew exactly where it was.