Tractor run raises €40,000 for charity in memory Laois man Seán Clear

A tractor run raised an incredible €40,000 in memory of Seán Clear after the community came together to support the charity which brought his remains home to his family.  

Seán tragically lost his life while working on machinery in New Zealand on February 17, 2023, just days before his 25th birthday. 

His death led to an outpouring of grief. His heartbroken family were at a loss as to how to repatriate Seán’s remains from the other side of the world until the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust stepped in and arranged for Seán to be brought home. 

Seán’s parents Tom and Julie decided they needed to do something to support the charity to say thank you and to help other families who may one day need a similar service. 

With the help of friends and family and Clough Ballacolla GAA, they organised a raffle and a Truck and Tractor Run in memory of Seán for the benefit of the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust. The event was held on the first anniversary of Seán’s death on February 17, 2024.

Tom Clear said everybody wanted to get on board and help out when they decided to hold the event. “We never pushed anybody, people just wanted to do it,” he explained. He said the GAA had provided 40 stewards on the day and gardaí in both Abbeyleix and Portlaoise helped out with the traffic.  

“Julie’s sister-in-law is in Canada and they had a table quiz and raised €2,500 and sent it in,” he said. He said a pantomime group in Kilkenny held a collection at their final show and collected €1,000. 

“We will never be able to thank them enough… everybody was so good,” Tom said.

He believed Seán was definitely present on the day of the run. “It was a massive testimony to him, the amount of people that came out,” Tom said. 

Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust founder Colin Bell travelled from Newry to Coach O’Leary’s in Ballacolla for the cheque presentation on Thursday night. Tom said Kevin, who visited with a board member, was really appreciative of the donation. 

“He left Newry at 2pm yesterday and I left the pub at 10 last night and he was still there,” Tom said.  “They are  big GAA people so they fell right in with us,” he said.   

Pictured above: Presentation of the ride-on mower raffle prize to Tom Delaney, seen here wearing a black jacket.

The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust was established by Colin Bell following the tragic death of Colin’s son Kevin in New York eleven years ago. It has helped bring home more than 1,600 Irish people who died abroad since 2013.