Hewson to scale Elysian heights

GARDAÍ are going to push Bono’s wife over the edge!

Well, it’s more likely to be a gentle nudge as they launch Ali Hewson on an abseil down Ireland’s tallest building on May 30.

The wife of one of the world’s best-known rock stars has pledged to abseil 275ft down the Elysian Tower in Cork to raise funds for the Chernobyl Children’s Project.

She is teaming up with 16 gardaí and international adventurer Pat Falvey in an effort to make enough money to build another of the charity’s Home of Hope projects in the Belarus region, which was devastated by nuclear fallout following the Chernobyl nuclear reactor meltdown on April 26, 1986.

Assistant Garda Commissioner Louis Harkin launched the abseiling project at a special ceremony at the Garda College in Templemore yesterday, attended by the charity’s chief executive Adi Roche.

The senior garda said he was delighted staff and students at Templemore had become involved in a special fundraising project — announced during National Chernobyl Week.

“The aim of this year’s [Garda] project is to raise e50,000 to build a Home of Hope to house 10 orphans in Belarus.

“The home is an alternative to state orphanages and designed to de-institutionalise children,” the assistant commissioner said.

He singled out Sergeants Conaill Madden, Conor O’Reilly and Brendan Hoare for organising this and a range of other events.

They include entering two garda teams in the Ocean to City Race and bringing hundreds of gardaí to Cork to compete in the June 1 marathon.

Sgt Madden said gardaí were hoping to break the world record for continuous rowing on a rowing machine and to create other world records for mountain biking and skiing as part of the fundraising effort.

Adi Roche said she was greatly indebted to the gardaí for the amount of work their were preparing to undertake for the charity.

“I discovered I had a fear of heights so I nominated Ali to take my place and I’m delighted to say she’s accepted,” Ms Roche said.

Anybody wishing to donate to the abseiling fundraiser can do so by lodging money at Permanent TSB, I Lapps Quay, Cork Ac/no 36410021, sort code 990701 and mark the lodgement reference abseil.