Cork man's daily running challenge in memory of brother raises €45k for Pieta

The sudden passing of Darragh King, at just 24, in April, sent shockwaves through the Carrigaline and Cork GAA communities.

And now the brother of the talented player has raised €45,000 for Pieta House in memory of Darragh.

Tomás King decided to take up the challenge of running 5km every day for the month of June, to raise funds for the mental-health charity and to raise awareness of mental health.

“Darragh brought people together and he was always there for people in difficult times,” Tomás told The Echo.

“I wanted to do something that was a testament to him, to how he brought people together, and how he was there for people,” he said.

Every day throughout the challenge, Tomás was joined by family, friends, and all of those who knew Darragh.

The turnout every day was a strong reflection of the love so many people had for Darragh and the support surrounding the King family.

One of the primary motivations behind why Tomás undertook the fundraiser was to help people struggling with their own mental health.

“I hope that Pieta will use the funds raised to raise awareness and keep pushing the agenda.

“I think everyone knows about the Darkness Into Light that happens once a year. But I think Pieta really are a light in the dark times. They know that mental health is not here for a day or for a month, it is here for life.”

Tomás hopes that Pieta House will continue to provide great services and promote the importance of looking after our mental health, and to “completely raise awareness and to let people know all the time that it is OK to talk and it is important to talk”.

Carrigaline GAA played a central role in Darragh’s life, and the club really stepped up for his family when they needed them most.

Tomás said: “I’m honestly so proud to say I am from Carrigaline GAA. I remember the night we found out, it was obviously so difficult for us, but I remember that night there were so many people from Carrigaline GAA coming over supporting us.

“Then they went down to the clubhouse themselves — together, as a whole GAA community — and they all lit a candle for Darragh.

“The day of the Mass, they had the streets closed and there was a guard of honour, all the way from my house to the church and from the church up to the cemetery.

“I remember just the amount of GAA people over at the house. They got food done for us, they got flags done.

“They were really there for us when we needed them. We didn’t have to ask; they were there. I honestly can’t thank Carrigaline GAA club enough.”

Anyone interested in making a donation to the fundraiser in aid of Pieta House and in memory of Darragh King should search ‘To help those struggling with their Mental Health’ on gofundme.com.

- If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please click here for a list of support services.