'If you say his name, he'll never be forgotten': Plaque unveiled for Cork's teen hero Cathal

The plaque was unveiled at Fitzgerald’s Park in Cork city on what would have been Cathal O’Neill’s 18th birthday

Members of Cathal O'Neill's family, friends and neighbours along with Cllr Kenneth Collins, Cllr Mick Nugent and Lord Mayor Cllr Colm Kelleher at the unveiling of a memorial bench in memory of Cathal. Picture: Jim Coughlan

It was one of his favourite places - now he’ll be remembered there forever.

A plaque has been unveiled on a bench overlooking the Fitzgerald’s Park playground in Cork in memory of the city’s very own Power Ranger teen hero, Cathal O’Neill, who died last year, aged just 16, after a lifetime of ill health.

And his mum, Pauline, said she hopes that when people see the plaque, they will read his name out loud.

(Left to right) Cathal's family, Terry, Sarah, Ciara, Terry and Pauline O'Neill at today's unveiling. Pauline said: “The park and the playground is our happy place." Picture: Jim Coughlan

“Whenever I see a person’s name on a plaque like this, I say that person’s name out loud and then that person is never forgotten. I hope people do the same for Cathal,” she said.

Inspirational Cathal, who was born with Spina Bifida and who was a wheelchair user, never let his disabilities get in his way. He was one of the first people to test the new fully accessible park when it was officially opened in August 2015.

He loved it because he was able to take his wheelchair to the top of its fort slide and enjoy the roundabout just like everyone else. His love of the playground was made all the more special by the fact that his dad, Terry, who works with Cumnor Construction, helped build it.

(Left to right) Jane, Seamus and Aidan O'Sullivan at today's unveiling in Fitzgerald's Park. Aidan was a school friend of Cathal. Picture: Jim Coughlan

Today's plaque unveiling ceremony, on what would have been Cathal’s 18th birthday, was attended by his siblings, Sarah, Terry and Ciara, some close family members and friends, and representatives of The School of The Divine Child, in Ballintemple.

Pauline said the fact that the city agreed to Cllr Kenneth Collins’ proposal to honour Cathal’s memory with a plaque in the park means so much to her entire family. “The park and the playground is our happy place," she said.

“We visit regularly. We came down here at the weekend for a walk with Cathal’s dog, Wags.

“It’s been a difficult year but we don’t think of the sadness or of the negatives.

“We think of the times Cathal spent here, how he loved coming to the park, how he would crack a joke, eat his sandwich at the bench, of how we had to drag his wheelchair out of bark mulch whenever it got stuck - all those little things.

“We have been blown away by the love shown to us through this gesture. It will help us to get through the dark times.” 

When Cathal was born, doctors didn’t think he would live to see his first birthday but he defied the odds, and went on to live a very full life.

Pauline said:

We knew our time with him would be short. He had dreams and we tried to make them happen. We didn’t let anything stop us.

“He met the members of One Direction, the Jedward twins, several Munster and Irish rugby players, he presented his own radio show, and even managed to get to Disneyland Paris.

“Power Rangers were his thing. He wanted to be a teen superhero. And he loved Superman.” 

He even gave One Direction’s Niall Horan some lessons in how to perfect the Cork accent.

When he died late last year just a month before his 17th birthday, his family encouraged mourners to wear red as a nod to his passion for Superman.