Human dynamo Lelia Doolan proved that age is just a number when she marked her 90th birthday with a weekend sky dive from a plane flying over Offaly.
Ms Doolan who has been at the centre of the cultural and civil rights campaign in Ireland since the 1960s had aimed to raise €3,000 with the event, but at time of going to press, she had almost surpassed eleven times that amount, with the money heading for €33,000. The deadline for donations continues until July 5.
The funds from the sky dive go to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders ) Ireland.
“These men and women give themselves to healing in the likes of Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine. Every penny counts. People are enormously generous,” she said in advance of the jump in Offaly.
Ms Doolan’s jump took place from 4,000m over the Irish Parachute Club in Clonbullogue Airfield, Co Offaly when she was strapped to experienced skydiver Lukasz Kucharski.
Afterwards she spoke of the exhilaration she experienced during the jump which took place in perfect weather conditions.
To make adonation to Lelia’s cause, see idonate.ie/fundraiser/LeliaDoolan
