I didn’t know John, I would have loved to have had a chat with him, but sadly that never happened.
His legacy is now doing the talking as it gets into gear and heads off in a little journey of its own. Little did a little Ford Popular of 63 years know it would be back in sitting proud among electric and hybrid cars of 2022 in the Ford Dealership in Letterkenny, on show for a very special reason.
The beautiful green two-door from the 1950’s sits on the narrowest of colour coded hubcap and cross-ply tyres.
John Sheridan at the door of his Ford Popular, his pride and joy which he donated to the raise funds for the Donegal Hospice before he sadly passed away.
Hegarty’s Ford dealership, located in Carnamuggagh on the High Road and was approached in September this year by the Donegal Hospice with a very special request.
At the start of December, the details of the reason the vintage Ford was in the showroom at the Mountain Top were released.
The Donegal Hospice announced details of a very special donation from a patient that was cared for at the Hospice.
John Sheridan came into the hospice towards the end of the summer and in his own words, John said he felt like a new man when the staff gave him great comfort to manage his pain and even was able to enjoy his food again.
Shortly after he was admitted to the Donegal Hospice. The 81-year-old Rathmullan man sadly passed away at the end of September this year, but his final time in the Donegal Hospice John was overwhelmed at the care that he received.
John was like many and he never really knew anything about what the Hospice does when a patient like himself arrives into their care.
The level of care, compassion, respect and dignity that John received and the support that his family got in the difficult last weeks of John’s life. While in the Hospice, John made a decision that he would try and do what he could to both highlight the professional and the compassionate level of care he received and also wanted to give something back.
John had a big passion for classic and vintage cars and one of the cars that he had for many years that he restored back to what it originally looked like when it rolled off the production line at the end of the 1950’s.
Andrew Hegarty in the 1959 Ford Popular which is on show at HegartyÕs Ford Dealership at the Mountain Top and will be raffled proceeds of which will go to the Donegal Hospice, The car was gifted to the Hospice by Patient John Sheridan, Rathmullan before he passed away earlier this year. Photo Brian McDaid.
This Ford Popular was John’s pride and joy and he felt it reflected perfectly the way he wanted to return a gesture, donating his Ford to help raise funds for the place that cared for him so well in his final weeks of his life.
The Donegal Hospice decided that a charity raffle was the way to go to honour John’s wish to raise money for the Donegal Hospice.
John’s vintage Ford Popular now takes centre stage, or centre showroom, thanks to Andrew Hegarty and his staff at the Ford Dealership as the raffle begins on the run into Christmas and will end the day after St Patrick’s Day, the 18th of March.
The Vintage Ford on show in the showroom of Hegarty’s is already drawing a good bit of interest. Looking around this beautifully restored car there are still parts like the big two spoke steering wheel with a beautiful patina colour from decades on the road from a different era.
The beautiful dials inside the 1959 Ford Popular on Show at HegartyÕs Auto Service. Photo Brian McDaid.
The dash the same colour as the car with the least amount of instruments, but what this car lacks in technology makes up for in the personality, carefully preserved by John Sheridan over the years.
Tickets are now available for this at €20 each, a great gift for someone that’s into their cars for Christmas, and also will help to raise funds for a much needed service thanks to John Sheridan and his beautiful gesture who gifted this car.
To buy tickets for the raffle, click HERE.
Happy Motoring Folks
The original steering wheel beautifully worn and telling a beautiful story of this classic car donated by John Sheridan a patient to the Donegal Hospice before he passed away. Photo Brian Mc Daid.
