THE parents of the late inspirational teenager Donal Walsh have been honoured by Kerry County Council.
Fionnbar and Elma Walsh were formally recognised at a civic reception this morning for their remarkable work with the Donal Walsh #Livelife Foundation set up in memory of their son who passed away, after a battle with cancer, at the age of 16.
His legacy and the work being done by his parents to promote his message of positivity was acknowledged by Mayor of Kerry, Cllr Norma Foley and her colleagues.
Members of the Walsh family, as well as family and friends of the late Donal, were present in the council chambers to hear words of congratulations for the efforts of the foundation which has raised over €500,000 for charitable causes. It was also noted that Fionnbar and Elma Walsh have brought Donal’s message to 50,000 students per annum through visits to schools around the country in recent years.
Mayor Foley remarked: “Donal spoke with bravery, honesty and, perhaps most importantly, a sense of humour that helped to defuse the magnitude of the fate that awaited him just a short time later”.
She added: “Inspired by his faith, his family and a unique fortitude, he conveyed a message of hope and positivity that resonated across the country, and still does to this day.
The mayor said Donal’s message also resonated with sports stars and celebrities who relayed and echoed what he had to say and Paul O’Connell, Ronan O’Gara, Conor Cusack and others used their profiles to repeat and acknowledge the words of their friend.
“Behind all of the profile, the fundraising, and the campaigning, however, there is a mom and dad who have lost a loving son. Sometimes, our natural instinct at a time of grief is to close the door, to retreat into ourselves and seek solace in a private way. But Fionnbar and Elma chose to embrace what Donal encouraged everyone to do and that is to be positive, promote positivity and live life to its fullest. And so was born the Donal Walsh Live Life Foundation,” she stated.
Through the foundation, Fionnbar and Elma speak to schools across Ireland and now have a reach of approximately 50,000 every year. The foundation has also raised over half a million euro in Donal’s memory.
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