Electric Picnic donations to more than 50 groups and charities in Stradbally and Laois

Over 50 cheques will be presented to groups, schools and charities in Stradbally and across Laois this week, totalling over €30,000, thanks to local Electric Picnic ticket sales.

Every year the Electric Picnic Residents Committee in Stradbally is presented with tickets by organisers Festival Republic, in return for having their village taken over by 55,000 happy Picnic goers for a weekend of music, arts and general madness in the Cosby family's estate.

The residents get a huge discount on the tickets, paying a nominal €30, which goes into a fund to be distributed locally every December.

This year the committee were given 1,400 tickets, and now they have chosen what worthy causes they will donate the money to, with a big cheque presentation tomorrow night in St Mary's Hall in Stradbally.

Among those accepting cheques will be Stradbally St Vincent de Paul, Kolbe Special School in Portlaoise, Irish Guide Dogs and Laois Offaly Families for Autism.

Stradbally and local villages like Timahoe and Vicarstown get much of the funds.

Chairperson Noel Ryan said this year's picnic was fantastic.

"After the picnic we review the positives and negatives, and the only negatives this year were three letters, mostly about parking issues. We have a fantastic relationship with Festival Republic, and this money has done fantastic work locally over the years, on top of that, last year the CEO Melvyn Benn gave €65,000 to St Colman's NS last year," he said.

"Electric Picnic has really put Stradbally on the map. Before that people only thought of the steam rally," he said.

The €30 tickets are sold, a maximum of two per houshold, to people who apply to the committee for them and who live within a mile of Cosby Hall where the festival takes place. Applicants from a slightly wider catchment area can also apply for the discounted tickets but are not guaranteed tickets. 

Next year's Electric Picnic takes place from August 31 to September 2. Weekend camping tickets are on sale from the official website here. 

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The full list to get donations via the Electric Picnic Committee this year is as follow:

Active Recreational Group Vicarstown

Cosby National School

Fr Sean Maher

Irish Guide Dogs

Kolbe Special School, Portlaoise 

LOFFA

Laois Riding for the Disabled

Laois SPCA

Lourdes Fund

Moyanna Cemetery Committee

Oakvale Cemetery Committee

Peoples Indoor Bowls

T&S United Soccer

Ratheniska Comhaltas

Scoil Mhichil Naofa, Athy

St Colman's NS

St Vincent de Paul

Stradbally AFC Under 17's

Stradbally Active Retirement Group

Stradbally and District Angling Club

Stradbally Community Allotments

Stradbally Community Games

Stradbally Concern Group

Stradbally Development Association

Stradbally Flower & Garden

Stradbally GAA Club

Stradbally GAA Kids Club

Stradbally Game & Conservation Club

Stradbally ICA

Stradbally Lake

Stradbally Main Street Residents

Stradbally Market House Restoration Committee

Stradbally Neighbourhood Watch

Stradbally PTAA

Stradbally Playgroup Committee

Stradbally Residents of Brockley Park, Church Avenue, Kylebeg, Oakglen, The Glebe, The Mill and Woodview.

Stradbally Snooker Club

Stradbally Social Services

Stradbally Town AFC

Stradbally, Vicarstown, Timahoe Community Sports Hub

Teach Tom

Timahoe Ladies GFC

Timahoe NS

Stradbally Christmas Tree Fund 

Vicarstown Youth Club

Worster Drought Syndrome Foundation