'Do it for Dóchas Abseil Challenge' raises €130,000 for Offaly Cancer Support Group

ONE hundred abseilers took to the roof of Croke Park on Saturday, October 19 to abseil 150 feet from the roof of the Hogan Stand roof to the hallowed ground below, all to raise funds for Dóchas Offaly Cancer Support Group.

Bookended by two very poor days weather wise, the weather could not have been better for the event and the sun shone down on the participants as they scaled to the roof for the descent.

The fundraising initiative commenced with the launch of the campaign in June 2024.

The charity was supported by Irish rugby international and Leinster rugby star Robbie Henshaw to launch the campaign blast June.

Such was the demand by participants on the night, no sooner had registration opened, was it closed again with 100 people signed up for the campaign.

Each participant raised funds over the following months in the lead up to the big day and all had a target to reach of €300.

The campaign has reached heights beyond the wildest expectations of the charity and to date over €130,000 has been raised with more money expected over the coming weeks.

Speaking on behalf of the charity John Conroy, Service Manager, said: “This campaign has truly been beyond anything we expected, and we cannot thank the entire community enough for their support. The level of fundraising has been phenomenal with all factions of our community getting involved.

"We have attended bake sales, raffles, pub quizzes, workplace challenges and pub nights as people have all come up with ingenious ideas to meet their target.

"We can’t thank the abseilers enough, all the businesses who have supported the campaign and to each single donor who has donated towards any of the abseilers. It has been a resounding success”.

Dóchas Offaly Cancer Support Group provides vital psycho-social cancer support services to people living in Offaly and the wider Midlands.