ORIEL TO GO BLUE IN MEMORY OF DARAGH
Tribute planned for opener
DARAGH McNally, the 11 year old boy who died last year, was a child who touched the hearts of many people in all walks of life. He touched the hearts of Dundalk FC so much that they are holding a fundraising event in his memory at Oriel Park on the first day of the season, on Friday.
‘Daragh didn’t speak a lot but he could say ‘C’mon the town,’ says his heartbroken mother Colleen. While he often found crowds overwhelming, he did attend a few games with his Dad Paul and older brother Nathan who are regulars at Oriel Park.
Although they are still struggling with the grief of losing Daragh just five weeks after he was diagnosed with cancer, the family want to help other families whose children have autism. They are grateful that Dundalk FC is organising a day in Daragh’s honour with all funds raised going to the
Autism Unit at Realt na Mara Primary School and the Maria Goretti children’s respite centre in Lordship.
‘Daragh was just turning five when he was diagnosed with autism,’ recalls Colleen. She remembers the day clearly - how they cried for the life that could have been.
However, guided by the words of her mother who told them ‘ he’s still going to be the same boy after the diagnosis that he was before’, they decided to get on with their lives and devote themselves to giving Daragh the best possible life.
‘From that day on we threw ourselves into helping Daragh,’ says Colleen.
It wasn’t always easy, she admits, but no matter how challenging his behaviour could be, she says that he was ‘always a good boy’.
‘Every day he told us that he loved us so much, that he was ‘Mammy’s best boy ever and Daddy’s best friend.’
‘He loved family life, his
Mammy, his Daddy, his big brother Nathan, and two little sisters, Naoise and Layla, and of course, his service dog Lenny,’ says Colleen.
‘Daragh was at his happiest at home with all his family around him. He was the heart of our family.’
She says they learned that he didn’t like doing things which other kids might enjoy as he found busy crowded places overwhelming and they began doing the things he most liked.
‘Daragh also enjoyed being outdoors, walking with Lenny and going to beaches and forests. It was good for all of us.’
‘He loved piggybacks with his Daddy and he also loved swimming with his teacher Alisun in Aura and with his grandfather in Ballymac.’
‘It was never about us,’ says Paul. ‘All we wanted was for Daragh to be happy as we felt so sorry for him when he was distressed.’
He says that their other children ‘ totally got Daragh’ and never gave out about him and helped out as much as they could.
‘ They are lost without him.’ They were lucky to be able to enjoy family holidays, with Colleen’s parents Nora and Kevin going along to help out.
‘We had just come back from holidays in Spain when Daragh was diagnosed with cancer,’ she says,
The family have precious memories of Daragh celebrating his eleventh birthday while on holiday.
Just ten days after coming home, he was diagnosed with cancer and admitted to Crumlin Children’s Hospital. Despite the best efforts of the medical team, he died five weeks later and they take comfort from the fact that he didn’t suffer.
They are, says Colleen, forever indebted to all those who helped them at such a difficult time.
‘ There are so many people we would like to thank. Both our amazing families and all our dear friends, all our neighbours in Medebawn, the Autism Unit in Realt na Mara for the love and support Daragh always got there; Sheila Murphy who helped us with Daragh since he was five - she was his friend; the Maria Goritti centre - his fun house as he called it; and Mary and Jimmy Mackin who always helped us with Lenny.’
‘ The whole town of Dundalk have supported us. We are overwhelmed by the kindness of everyone’ she says, recalling that the gestures which meant so much to them, like football teams togging out in blue (the colour for autism) and St Nicholas Church and the Green Church being lit up in blue.
Now, they want to give back to those who helped them and to remember their beloved son.
‘Dundalk FC are playing their first game of the season on Friday night and they have given us the go-ahead to hold ‘Daragh’s Day’ at Oriel Park,’ explains Colleen.
‘Nathan is going to raise the champion’s flag on the pitch and they we’re going to release balloons from the centre of the pitch in honour of Daragh. The team are going to wear t-shirts with his picture on them.’
All funds raised from the event will go towards ‘Daragh’s Room’, a new room named after him, in Realt na Mara and to the Maria Goretti Centre.
Colleen has always reached out to other parents who had children with autism, and even now she is thinking of others. ‘ There are so many families dealing with autism so I would appeal to people if they know someone with a children on the spectrum to reach out and help them, even if it’s only a text message.
‘It’s nice to know that people understand and are willing to help because understanding autism is all I ever tried to do.’