Big-hearted Donal gives away Communion cash

A West Cork boy who donated €100 of his Holy Communion money to charity has been identified following an appeal.

During the week on irishexaminer.com, we wrote about Glandore schoolboy Donal O’Donovan’s donation to Clonakilty-based charity Just-one, which helps children in Nepal.

As well as giving €100 — or 10,000 Nepali rupees — he wrote a lovely note to Just-one founder Declan Murphy, who had visited his school and inspired the boy to help in the best way he could.

The Irish Examiner issued an appeal to help the charity track down Donal to thank him for his kindness, and the response was overwhelming.

Donal’s parents, Diarmuid and Eithne O’Donovan, were contacted by Glandore National School principal Norma Whelton, after she recognised his name and the charity.

The school regularly invites Declan to speak about his work in Nepal, and those visits clearly made an impression on Donal.

Eithne said they are very proud of their son and explained why Donal chose to send such a huge amount of money to the Nepal charity.

“He was really worried about all the children in the Just-one centre when the earthquake hit this year,” she said. “When his First Holy Communion came up I suggested that he should give some money to a charity and made a few suggestions in case he needed any help, but he immediately told me that Just-one is now his charity.”

After sharing the’s letter on their Facebook page, Declan says it has become their most-viewed post ever. “It highlights the heart-warming generosity of children back in West Cork whose schools I visit each autumn to share about the organisation’s ongoing work here in Nepal helping poor children access educational opportunities they’d otherwise be denied,” he said.