Limerick Leader Saturday West
Saturday 23 February 2013
Gerard Fitzgibbon
The tragic deaths of two young West Limerick people are to be the inspiration for a fund raising run and cycle organised by their families.
The sudden deaths in 2011 of 20 year old Niamh Herlihy and 15 year old Darra O’Donovan sparked an outpouring of grief in the Monagea and Strand communities.
Now, both of the families touched by these tragedies have united to raise money for the charity ‘CRY’, which raises awareness of sudden adult death syndrome in local communities.
Liam Herlihy, Niamh Herlihy’s father, said that the shared grief of is and the O’Donovan’Scanlan families gave them common purpose to help prevent others suffering the same loss.
“My daughter died in April, and a few months later young Darra O’Donovan died as well. The two families got together and talked about what we could do. People kept coming up to us, asking if we had an event or something, that they’d love to donate a bit of money and get involved”.
On the Saturday May 4, the bank holiday weekend, an 80km cycle and a 10km run/walk will take place, with everyone from ardent cyclists and seasoned runners to leisure walkers of all ages encouraged to take part.
Both events will start and finish at the Monagea community centre. The cyclists head off at 11am and will head for Charleville via the Bruff line, and will head back through Newtownshandrum, Milford, Dromcollogher, Broadford, Raheenagh and Strand.
The walk/run departs at 12pm and will head into Newcastle west at Boherbui, before turning right out past the Killeline rugby grounds and back into Monagea via Gardenfield.
The event was launched this Wednesday night by Limerick Senior Hurling and football captains Donal O’Grady and Seanie Buckley. For information contact Liam Herlihy on 087 2998461, Clare O’Donovan on 085 1458214 or email [email protected] or visit its Facebook page.