Killina supporting Climb With Charlie

27th March 2022

On Saturday next, April 2nd, well-known broadcaster and journalist Charlie Bird will scale Croagh Patrick to raise awareness and funds for the Irish Motor Neuron Disease Association and Pieta House. 
Charlie will be joined by a host of entertainment and sports personalities at the Mayo mountain,  but all around the country people will be encouraged to scale hills and mountains across every county, with Croghan Hill being the Offaly site.
My own first awareness of MND was around the time of the Ice Bucket Challenge, and then finding out about newscaster Colm Murray.  However, it has since left it's mark on our school community.  Hearing about the diagnosis for a colleague and friend, Stella Horan, the reality of MND was brought into shocking, and brutal, clarity.  It is a cruel and vindictive affliction, robbing the person of their movement, their independence, and eventually their life.  The inevitability is frightening, but the courage, resolve, equanimity and humour that Charlie Bird has displayed in recent interviews mirrors all the qualities that Stella showed through the texts and messages she sent to staff up to a few days of her passing: fortitude, determination, and an unconquerable sense of humour. 
Unfortunately this isn't the only occasion MND has cast it's grim shadow across our school community.  Brothers Jack (6th year), Niall (3rd year) and Darragh Kelly (1st year) lost their father to MND last year. Therefore, Charlie Bird's charity climb is an initiative that is particularly close to our hearts in Killina, and as part of our Positive Wellbeing Week next week, we will be inviting staff, students, past students and connections to support the Climb at Croghan Hill next Saturday.  
 Further information can be found on the website climbwithcharlie.ie , and we will be finalising our own arrangements during the week.