News
Marathon man’s helping hand for Katie
A Conamara hotelier has just completed three marathons in three countries in three weeks to raise funds for a neighbour who needs €300,000 for prosthetic hands that will transform her life.
Michael Cloherty, who owns the Carna Bay Hotel, ran the Connemarathon on April 6m the London Marathon last week and the Boston Marathon on Monday.
Speaking from his Boston hotel just hours before he boarded a plane home on Tuesday, Michael admitted he was very tired but very satisified at having completed the three marathons and helped raise the profile of the Running for Katie fundraiser to help 23 year old Carna woman, Katie O’Halloran get Bebionic prosthetic arms.
Katie was born with the rare condition, Femur Fibula Ulna Syndrome but has overcome great physical challenges to complete a Masters in Civil Law at NUI Galway. She is currently interning at McDermott & Allen, Solicitors, in Galway City.
She and her parents, Tom and Catherine have been at the finish line to greet Michael at the three marathons.
“She got a great reaction in London and Boston but particularly here in Dorchester over the weekend when a large Irish community came out to support a fundraiser on Saturday night.
The O’Hallorans got VIP tickets to watch the finish of the marathon, which experienced high security this year because of last year’s bombing,” he said.
Michael, who has run marathons before now, got the idea last year to sign up for the Connemarathon and then realised that the London and Boston ones were on subsequent weeks.
“That gave me the idea to do the three of them and help raise money and awareness for Katie’s cause,” he said.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.