More than €9,000 has been raised for the Meningitis Trust following the Renville Park 5K ‘Remembering Aoibhe’ Run.
Nearly 700 people took part in the event which was won by Peter O’Sullivan of Craughwell AC. Jane Ann Healy from Athenry AC won the women’s race.
Connacht Rugby captain John Muldoon, Ronan Scully and meningitis survivor Liam Cullinane were among those who took on the challenge along the scenic 5K race route through Renville and Maree. The run was followed by a garden party in Renville Park, provided by Frend’s Restaurant.
The run was gifted with the title Renville Park5K ‘Remembering Aoibhe’ Run by the parents of Aoibhe Carroll, Siobhan and Noel. In April 2008, four-years-old Aoibhe died suddenly from meningitis, and her parents are now trying to raise awareness around meningitis.
Following the run, Siobhán Carroll said: “We’ve been blown away by the turn-out to the run. We can’t thank those who took part in the challenge enough. The weather stayed beautiful during the evening - Aoibhe was smiling down on us.”
Linda Burke, managing director of sponsors Level One, said: “ Meningitis is an illness which can affect anybody and as the run approached and following the event itself we have heard many more stories about how the illness has affected families and individuals. We hope that the run will become an annual event and look forward to planning for next year.”
