Donal’s legacy honoured as golfers tee off to raise €35k for Crumlin

For four years the parents of Donal Walsh helped him fight cancer not just with medicine, but with love, courage, and humour, and yesterday they proved their armoury is far from empty.

Just six weeks after burying their inspirational son, his mum and dad, Elma and Fionnbar, spoke of their heartache at his loss but also the challenge they’re taking on to honour his legacy.

Sports-mad Donal, 16, had two goals in mind when he knew his cancer was terminal, one of which was to fund improvements at Crumlin Children’s Hospital where he was treated.

This Friday, golfers at Kerry Group’s inaugural Donal Walsh Memorial Tournament at Killarney Golf Course will help achieve that goal, with an open competition that aims to raise €35,000.

Kerry Group have run the event annually for the hospital for more than 20 years, and believe it a fitting tribute to put Donal’s name to it, and a special commemorative cup, from here on. In fact, so many fundraisers for Crumlin and Donal’s other great concern, suicide prevention, have been organised by different groups in his memory, that the family are looking at setting up an overseeing foundation.

“He has left us a challenge and a legacy that has to be honoured,” said Fionnbar, adding in gratitude rather than complaint. “He has left us a lot of work.”

Their gratitude comes from having something to focus on other than their loss. Elma said she had been clinging to her faith in God to see her through since the day in May when Donal passed away at the family home in Blennerville, Co Kerry.

“If I didn’t have it, I really don’t know where I would be,” she said, adding an affectionate chide any parent of a feisty teen would recognise: “And I talk to Donal all the time — he hasn’t answered me back yet which is amazing.”

Fionnbar gave another insight into the colourful character of their son whose determination brought admiration from rugby heroes like Shane Jennings and Paul O’Connell. O’Connell came to Tralee Rugby Club where Donal, who lost a knee during his first round with cancer, had swapped playing for coaching. “Paul gave him great time,” Fionnbar recalled, “and Donal gave Paul great advice.”

“The Donal that we knew was no saint,” his mum said, though she couldn’t have loved him more if had come complete with halo.

“He had a temper on him. He had spirit. He loved parties and going out. He was like any other teenager.”

Except that where most teenagers get to vent their energy and frustrations on their parents, Donal had to save much of his for his cancer. Speaking to Miriam O’Callaghan on RTÉ radio, his parents referred repeatedly to “the fight” they all embarked on against the disease, and how each time it returned, they cried briefly, then picked themselves up and began the fight again.

Yet when the fight ended, many months after doctors predicted Donal’s game would be up, he left the field with an extraordinary peacefulness that makes the Walshes believe he picked his own time of departure.

Not long before, the house had been jam-packed with relatives and friends, but only his mum was beside him when his breathing changed and he gave just enough time for his dad and sister to get to his room before he slipped away.

“He went out like a light,” Fionnbar said. “There was peace, absolute peace,” said Elma.