Ties from Kevin

This was my Uncle-in-law, Kevin Fitzsimons, with his wife Darina. Of all the photos I could find of him, none displayed his fabulous 'fro as well that this one does. Kevin was an entrepreneur by trade and a builder by heart - a soft-spoken man with a wicked sense of humor and some of the driest, most well-times jokes I've ever heard.

In the early 90's, Kevin opened up Fitzsimons Hotel and Bar (then known as The Wellington since it was on Wellington Quay) in Dublin's Temple Bar district. Over the years, Kevin poured his life and soul into the place and turned it into one of the most popular bars in Dublin.

(Dublin, Ireland, just in case you were wondering)

Then, some years ago, Kevin developed Acute Leukemia. Here he is with his wife, Darina, on their wedding day in St. James's hospital a few months before he died. I'd always known Kevin by his signature curls, but he rocked that bald look like it was nobody's business, right up until the end.

It's been some years since Kevin passed away and some years since my aunt, Darina, had the courage to go through his belongings and start to let things go.

The item that piqued my interest the most, shown below, was Kevin's collection of incredible ties.

Darina told me that Kevin couldn't travel anywhere without buying a suit jacket and a tie. Minus the ties Darina wished to keep in memory of him, the ones left amassed in a total of 54 ties, and they are things that she and I just can't stand to throw away.

So I'm going to give them away!

Of the 54 ties, 24 of these are polyester (although that may be wrong because a small few don't have visible labels). I have to account for Kevin's taste because these are some of the weirdest ties I have ever seen.

There's one of a print of snails in there. Just cartoon snails.

The remaining 30 ties that I could tell by the label are 100% silk and one or two of them look really, really expensive. Some of them still have the tags on them and have never been worn.

I selected these 5 because of the quality. The second from the right in particular is iridescent and can be blue or yellow depending on the lighting. The first from the left is pure silk and feels like papyrus paper.

Just look at that hot-air-balloon tie though!

These two ties are the only ones with obvious designer tags. From left to right the red is Versace and the yellow/gold is Louis Copeland.

These are my personal favorites. Damn, Kevin had some fine taste. That hot-air-balloon one gets me every time.

These 6 are entertainment themed. I cannot stress how amazing that saxophone-print tie is and how little justice this picture does it.

These four are food themed. Just look at that fried egg print! The last two are duplicates of what I presume is a spicy salad print.

And they can be yours! The collection is really something and I just can't bear to throw them in the bin. Maybe your dad/granddad/brother/significant other would appreciate them. Maybe you never want to buy another tie ever again because there really is one for every occasion in there. Or you just really want that one with the fried-egg print.

If you want the collection, all you have to do is donate here - https://give.everydayhero.com/ie/ties-from-kevin

Every donation goes to Bone Marrow for Leukemia Trust - the entire collection goes to the highest donation. I'll keep it running up to the end of the month. Whoever donates the highest amount will get the entire collection, lovingly wrapped and shipped to wherever you are for free.

Just make sure you put your username in the message details so I can contact you about shipping details.

And if you're ever in Ireland, drop by Fitzsimons Bar and raise your glass to Kevin Fitzsimons!

- Peace!