Limerick woman Mary O’Connell raises more than €11,000 for Irish Cancer Society in honour of her late father

Mary O’Connell has raised more than €11,000 for Irish Cancer Society in honour of her late father

Mary O’Connell has raised more than €11,000 in honour of her late father, Florrie O’Connell by walking 72km from Milford Care Centre to her family home

Mary O’Connell has raised more than €11,000 for Irish Cancer Society to honour her late father, Florrie O’Connell, by walking the 72km distance from Milford Hospice to her home in Mountcollins, Limerick.

Taking on the heartfelt journey this past August Bank Holiday weekend Mare dedicated the walk to the memory of her beloved father, Florrie O’Connell, who passed away in April 2023 after a brave battle with cancer, raising the funds for the Irish Cancer Society-Nursing Service.

“My Dad was a wonderful man,” Mary said on the GoFundMe page which set with an original target of €500 and now stands at an incredible  €11,777, she continued, “He loved his family dearly, farming, all things GAA, a 99 no matter what time of the day, a cup of tea and his home. Wherever he was, for whatever reason he needed to be in hospital, the only place he wanted to be was at home with us all. This was especially important to Dad towards the end of his life, a wish he made very clear.”

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Florrie’s final days were spent at home, a wish fulfilled with the help of the Milford Hospice home care team and the Daffodil nurses, Mary noted, “The nurses who cared for Dad were extraordinary people and words could never thank them enough for what they did.”

In honour of her father’s memory and the exceptional care he received, Mary walked the 72 kilometres from Milford Hospice to Mountcollins, symbolizing the 72 years of her father’s life. The walk took place over 24 hours across the 3rd and 4th of August as she was joined by her supportive family and friends.

Through this fundraiser, which is still open to donations, Mary aims to support other families facing similar situations by raising funds for the Irish Cancer Society-Nursing Services, she said, “Any donation at all would be so gratefully appreciated and used in such a valuable service.”

Mary thanked everyone for their support, saying, “Thank you so much for taking the time to read my fundraiser. In the words of my wonderful Dad, ‘Your health is your wealth.'”