Willie Gleeson and Marcie Keogh have training hard for their charity climb of Kilimanjaro.

Kilimanjaro climb for colitis and Crohn's disease

Marcie Keogh is appealing for people to support her upcoming table quiz, darts tournament and golf classic in aid of the ISCC - Irish Society for Colitis and Crohn’s disease.


On September 14th this year, I will be climbing Kilimanjaro mountain in Tanzania, Africa, the highest freestanding mountain in the world, with Willie Gleeson - the only person mad enough to do it with me and help me get to the top! - in aid of ISCC, a charity close to my heart.


We have already funded the climb entirely ourselves but before we go I would love to give back something to the charity, which helped me enormously in how to live and learn to manage my illness.


The charity is totally self-funded and depends on public donations as it gets no state funding whatsoever. I really cannot stress enough how much the charity helps people who are diagnosed with Colitis or Crohn’s disease. Both diseases cause ulceration of the digestive system, of which there is currently no cure. Its dedicated support telephone line has just launched and is managed totally by volunteers,  as is their e-mail facility, which in itself is a lifeline. They also do public meetings around Ireland with specialist doctors and speakers, which gives us an all-round better understanding of our disease. The ISCC is the patient to patient support group for people living with colitis or Crohn’s, both of which are classed as chronic diseases.


Our training is intense because the climb is also! Every weekend, hail, rain or shine, we do 10 - 15-mile hikes in various mountain ranges in Ireland such as Carrauntohil, Galtymore, Nephin, Greenane, Croagh Patrick. Kilimanjaro is a demanding trek, which will take 7 days, approx 6 hours walking each day, except summit day, which is 15 hours. Temperatures will vary between 30 degrees during the day to -20 degrees at night.


On the 8th of March we will be running a table quiz and spot prize raffle in the Silvermine Bar starting at 9pm, followed by DJ and also on the 13th of April we will be running a darts tournament in the D’Pallas Bar, registration 6pm, off the Oche 6.30pm. Roscrea Golf Club are hosting a golf classic for us in May, date to be confirmed, and there will be a Shave & Dye night organised during the summer, date to be confirmed also.


I have also set up an online account with ISCC on I-donate.ie


My page is named Marcella under fundraising. This money goes straight into the ISCC account. Thanks so much in advance; any donation, however big or small, is so appreciated by the ISCC,a charity that’s little known because sufferers like me find it an embarrassing illness to talk about, and to every single patient that uses and needs this invaluable service. Any enquiries or information needed, please don’t hesitate to contact me.


Thanking you. Yours sincerely, Marcie Keogh - 0860539838.