Over 3,000 people have walked through the night to honour the young son of a Scartaglin woman who died in tragic circumstances just over six years ago.
Nathan’s Walk – part of the nationwide Darkness into Light fundraiser – was an overwhelming success in
Killarney early this Saturday morning with the turnout beyond all expectations
Nathan O’Carroll from Ross Road, Killarney was just 14 years of age when he passed away in December 2007.
He was the youngest son of Denis Carroll from Killarney and Marie Linehan who is a native of Scartaglin.
Nathan’s parents and brothers, Damien, Killian, Aaron and Ryan, organised an annual walk, dedicated to his memory, to raise funds for suicide and self-harm crisis centre Pieta House.This year’s Nathan’s Walk/Darkness Into Light project attracted thousands of men, women and children who turned out in force shortly after 4am this Saturday.
They left the starting point at the Gleneagle Hotel in total darkness at 4.15am and wound their way along the 5km route, through Killarney National Park at Muckross Abbey before returning to the Gleneagle as dawn broke.
Pieta House chief executive, Joan Freeman, had encouraged everyone in Killarney to get involved to help raise funds for the provision of essential services provided by the organisation and they certainly answered the call.
Nathan’s Walk was one of several Darkness Into Light events held at 39 locations throughout the country with a similar fundraiser in London, organised by Killarney woman Tara Cronin, and another in Sydney, Australia.
