Pictures: Dara’s charity cycle in Ballincollig raises €90k for cancer nursing

THE atmosphere was electric in a packed Ballincollig GAA clubhouse on Saturday evening, as the clock ticked down to 5pm, and both young and old cheered a 12-hour indoor cycling challenge to a close, fundraising in the region of €90,000.

Dara Gives Back – Pedal for the Poons saw four friends complete more than 1,000km as a way of saying a heartfelt “thank you” for the incredible care shown to a very special Ballincollig boy over the past three years.

In January 2020, Dara Kelleher was just a few weeks shy of his third birthday when he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukaemia. 

Since then, Dara has received intensive ongoing and successful treatment at the Mercy University Hospital, including over 120 overnight admissions, and he has benefited greatly from the help of the Paediatric Oncology Outreach Nursing Service (Poons).

Dara’s parents, Couerena and Noel, with the support of family and friends, organised a fundraiser for Poons, with Noel and Mike McGrath, Danny Dwyer, and Pearse O’Malley completing a cycling challenge on Saturday.

The fundraiser’s target had initially been €40,000 but, by Monday afternoon, with pledges still coming in, the final tally looked set to pass €90,000. Speaking to The Echo after the challenge, Couerena and Noel said they had been blown away by the support.

“We’re humbled and overwhelmed at such a huge community team effort, and it just surpassed all we ever thought it would,” Couerena said. “This has just brought people together in such a positive way, and this will help so many families in the future.”

Star of the show, Dara, had a great day, posing for photos wit Lord Mayor of Cork Councillor Deirdre Forde, and local councillors Derry Canty and Colm Kelleher who popped by praising the great giving spirit of “the village”.