Running from Grangemockler to Cork in memory of Carol Walsh
One young man is taking on a 120 kilometre run, in memory of his mother
A 21-year-old man from Grangemockler in County Tipperary is preparing to take on a major charity challenge in memory of his late mother.
Brendan Walsh will run from his home in Tipperary to the Bons Secours Hospital in Cork on 19 June 2026 as part of ‘Carol’s Legacy Run’, an event inspired by the journey his mother, Carol, made many times during her eight-year battle with cancer before her death in 2021.
The run has already begun to attract strong public support, with €13,937 raised toward a €30,000 target, and all funds will be shared between Care Cancer Support in Clonmel, Solas Cancer Support in Waterford, and the Bons Secours cancer charity Cúnamh, reflecting the organisations that supported his family throughout Carol’s illness.
Brendan is currently in his third year studying Accountancy at University College Cork and is completing a six month work placement in with KPMG in Cork currently.
Speaking to the Tipperary Star, Brendan explained that his mother Carol was first diagnosed with cancer in 2013 and went through the illness for eight years. After an initial three years, she was given the all clear, but when Brendan was starting secondary school in 2017 she was re-diagnosed and by that stage the cancer had spread. Throughout her treatment she attended the Bons Secours Hospital in Cork, where she received excellent care.
Brendan said the inspiration behind the run is to do it for her and to honour his mother’s memory, replicating the route she would have drove or to have someone drive her for her treatment.
Brendan explained that the three chosen charities were a major source of support for his family throughout his mother’s illness. Care Cancer Support in Clonmel provided local assistance during her treatment, while Solas Cancer Support in Waterford offered counselling for Brendan and his sister when their mother was re-diagnosed in 2017.
He also highlighted Cúnamh, a voluntary organisation supporting patients at the Bons Secours Hospital, which was selected following a meeting with its head of missions, Father Graham. Brendan said he felt it was a fitting cause, particularly given the care his mother received at the Bons Secours Hospital over the course of her treatment.
Brendan has been training five days a week since announcing the challenge in November, gradually building up his distance with a routine. His weekly schedule includes midweek runs of 12 to 14 kilometres, a five kilometre run on Fridays, and long runs on Saturdays now reaching 50 to 55 kilometres.
The main run will be completed over two days, with around 70 kilometres planned on day one from his home towards Mitchelstown, followed by the remaining 50 kilometres into Cork on day two. Donations for Carol’s Legacy Run can be made via its GoFundMe page.