Warriors set their sights on Tara in wild fundraiser

A dawn chorus with a difference will be heard over the Hill of Tara next month, when the mellifluous melodies of waking birds will be replaced by the panting, puffing, thudding, groaning, and possibly squelching, of hundreds of hardy runners.

The annual Tara Dawn Run in aid of Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, takes place at 4am on Saturday, Jun 15, when participants will run, walk, stroll, or plod to meet the rising sun while taking in the beauty of one of the country’s most historically significant sites.

All ages and athletic abilities are welcome, and while there will undoubtedly be a few pros who will have the 4km route completed by the time others have tied up their laces, the emphasis will be very much on fun.

Organiser Shay Sheridan is urging runners channel their inner warrior, in a bid to set a world record for the most people dressed as Celtic warriors in one place.

“We’re looking for the wildest men and women this country has to offer.

“We’re asking people to dig out those old tartan shirts they’ve buried in their wardrobes, to cut a few holes in that bed sheet at the back of the hot press, and turn that lipstick into Celtic warrior paint.

“It’s for a brilliant cause and promises to be a great morning.”

Shay started the event with another local dad, James Gibbons, seven years ago, originally to raise funds for the neo-natal ICU at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda in thanks for the care given to James’s daughter, Kate, who was born prematurely.

In more recent years, Shay and James have been supporting Crumlin where Shay’s daughter, Amy, 8, is a regular visitor as she had to have a leg amputated at birth and is receiving ongoing treatment to ensure nothing stops her appetite for hill-climbing, swimming, athletics, and GAA.

Registration for the run is €20 per adult and free for children, and the smell of sausage sandwiches being prepared at the finish line should be enough to entice even the weariest legs.

* www.taradawnrun.ie