Mary Lynch

Nenagh woman to jump off Croker!

Nenagh's Mary Lynch is about to take a giant leap of faith and she's hoping the local community will get behind her.

 

Next month Mary will abseil 100ft from the top of the Hogan Stand in Croke Park to raise money for the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association (IMNDA) in North Tipperary.

 

A big fan of social dancing, she's organised a fundraising dance in Nenagh ahead of her daunting challenge. The dance will take place at the Scouts Hall on Sunday October 2nd from 9pm to midnight and will feature music from local band High Country and Catriona from Tralee, a name well known on the local dance circuit.

 

It's all in aid of easing the suffering of people diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, a debilitating condition that strikes people of all ages. It is progressive and terminal, and there is no cure. There are currently over 350 people living with MND in Ireland, 19 of them in Tipperary.

 

Often referred to as the '1,000 day disease', most people die within 1,000 days of being diagnosed with MND. The condition attacks the motor neurons, or nerves, in the brain and spinal cord. This means messages gradually stop reaching muscles, which leads to weakness and wasting.

 

Mary, a child minder living in Millersbrook, has a personal association with the disease. Her mother died from MND. Ever since, Mary has been trying to raise money for the IMNDA and trying to make people aware of the good work it does for patients and their families.

 

The IMNDA provides specialised services for people affected by the disease. These include equipment on loan, financial assistance towards home help, advice and home visits from MND nurses. The services are immediate and free of charge. In order to keep them running, the IMNDA depends heavily on the generosity of the public and supporters like Mary, who generate over 84% of its income.

 

Having held a number of fundraising campaigns in her native Cork, the dance on Sunday night week will be Mary's first time to organise one in Nenagh. And abseiling off the Hogan Stand will be the most courageous thing that Mary has ever done, given that she has a fear of heights! But she says she's committed to doing it on October 8th, when she will join a group of people determined to do something radical for the IMNDA.

 

Admission to the Scouts Hall dance is €10 and that includes tea and entry into a draw, with some great prizes already contributed by local businesses. All the money that Mary raises for the IMNDA will be spent on caring for patients in North Tipperary. She took the opportunity to thank every person and business that has contributed to her campaign so far, and Mary hopes to see a great turnout at the Scouts Hall on October 2nd.