Brothers brave the cold for charity

AS if the weather wasn’t cold enough, two Co Kerry brothers last night forsook the comfort of their beds to sleep in an igloo.

Adam, 23, and Ciaran Moss, 15, braved sub-zero conditions as they settled into their house made of blocks of frozen snow.

Temperatures last night were forecast to be between -7 and -12 degrees Celsius.

But it was all in a good cause and they hope to raise at least €500 for Bee for Battens and the Saoirse Foundation in aid of children and families affected by the normally fatal Battens Disease.

The brothers were moved by the story of Kerry victims of the disease, Saoirse Heffernan, 5, and her brother, Liam, 2.

They got the idea last Sunday to build an igloo for fun and their mother, Deirdre, then suggested they raise funds at the same time for the Battens campaign.

Up to lunchtime yesterday, they had collected €220 and were confident of exceeding their target.

The brothers spent five days building the igloo with blocks which they made by packing snow into containers the size of lunch boxes. They had willing helpers in their sisters Alannah, 14, and Erin, 9, and neighbour Jordan Foley, 10.

The igloo, about 3m in height and 2m sq, is in the front garden of their home at Cockleshell Road, The Kerries, Tralee.

“We crawl in through a narrow tunnel and there’s about enough space for two people to lie down,” said Ciaran.

’We’re going to have plenty of blankets, warm clothes and socks. Hopefully, we’ll be warm enough.’

Anyone wishing to contribute to their fund can do so through the website: www.mycharity.ie/ event/adam_moss_event/.