Cork man to take on 12 months of physical tasks for Challenge4Autism

A FARRANREE man has taken to social media to announce his commitment to 12 months of physical challenges in aid of Scoil Íosagáin Farranree and Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland.

Dean Buckley’s son, aged 5, a pupil of Scoil Íosagáin Farranree, was diagnosed with autism in January 2023, which spurred Dean’s desire to “give back” to those who have helped his family over the last year.

The Challenge4Autism campaign, set up by Dean via GoFundMe, currently stands at €433 raised, with the goal of hitting €5,000 by the end of the year.

In January, Dean walked 80 km to mark his first challenge, with a plan to run across all 27 bridges in Cork twice in February, as well as future challenge plans to cycle 100K, run a marathon, and climb Carrauntoohil.

Speaking about the Challenge4Autism campaign Mr Buckley said: “I wanted to do something, rather than just asking for money. I kind of said to myself, I might as well go big, and whatever is raised, I’ll split it between the two.”

Dean, himself a past pupil of Scoil Íosagáin Farranree, said “there was a little bit of an extra touch” when selecting his chosen charities.

“I chose them — his school and the autism dogs Ireland — because they’re tied [to each other].”

Mr Buckley is documenting his training experience through Instagram, under the handle Challenge4Autism, where people can “follow along throughout the year, see what’s happening and what’s coming next”.

To donate, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/challenge-4-autism