The following is background information for your own benefit and will give you an idea of what use is to be made of the funds raised. Cloonacool is a small rural parish in South County Sligo in the West of Ireland. It is a farming based community that nestles along the banks of the river Moy and is guarded over by the beautiful Ox Mountains. The population of the parish is small. It contains one small village and only about 150 inhabited homesteads in total. It is nonetheless a region deep in tradition and culture and today contains a community who values and works tirelessly to preserve it for the future generation.
I live in Cloonacool. I am married and my wife and I have three children. Together with family, neighbours and friends, we do what we can to maintain and improve our parish. With this in mind, it was decided about two years ago that it would be important for our parish to have its own community park. This park will belong to the people of the parish for their use and pleasure and also provide a centre for all community events and activities. It will contain a clubhouse, a Gaelic football field, a soccer pitch and an amenity area for families and visitors. This ‘field’ will be a focal point for our community as well as a meeting place and recreation area for our young people.
All projects of this size and nature cost money, but given the size of our small community, the cost of this venture seems great indeed. One of the methods that the organising committee have come up with in order to raise the required money is to run a Personality Contest. The idea behind this is that five people in the community are chosen to raise money by whatever means they choose. At the closing date, in this case Dec. 7th 1998, the person who has accumulated the largest amount will be deemed the winner. I am one of the ‘chosen few’ and I am writing to you to ask for your help in raising my share of the money and so gain the coveted title - ‘The Personality of Cloonacool’. This competition is what I propose to do to raise my share of the funds. With your assistance, I believe it will be a success.
 Thanks for taking time to read this note and hopefully responding and also distributing this notice. Thanks also for your interest in Cloonacool. Maybe you could include it on your next holiday.

 Looking forward to hearing from you,

 
Pat McCarrick.
 P O Box 5000
 Tubbercurry
 Co Sligo
 Ireland