Family of baby Órla Trearty gifts beach wheelchair to Marble Hill

By Rachel McLaughlin • 6 years ago

May
2018

Donegal's newest beach wheelchair was unveiled on a beautiful sunny day at Marble Hill, thanks to the generosity of the Órla Memorial 5K fund.

Little Orla Trearty passed away almost 10 years ago when she was just 1 year old. In her memory, the family have held 5K fundraising events at Ards Forest Park from 2009 to 2015, raising over €60,000 for great charity causes.

This year, the Trearty family have sponsored the beach wheelchair to allow children and adults with mobility issues to enjoy a day by the seaside.

Unveiling the new beach wheelchair at Marble Hill on Tuesday this week thanks to the generosity of the Órla Memorial 5K fund is Cathaoirleach Cllr. Gerry McMonagle, Sinead Trearty, Michael McGarvey, Donegal County Council, Cllr. Adrian Glackin, Carolynne Harrison, The Shandon Hotel, Gert Eksteen, The Shandon Hotel, David Friel, Donegal County Council, Bryan Cannon, Donegal County Council with family and friends of little Órla.

Speaking at the ceremony Sinead Trearty thanked all the people who have supported the Órla Memorial 5k over the years saying “we have raised over €60,000, providing help to the Jack and Jill Children’s foundation, the Jennifer Trust for SMA and local paediatric physiotherapy services.

Sinead added: “We are now delighted to sponsor the beach wheelchair to Marble Hill beach and hope that it will go some way to help those with reduced mobility to access the beach and surrounding areas. Órla passed away almost 10 years ago and I know she would have loved to see this happening”.

Sinead Trearty speaking on behalf of the Órla Memorial 5K fund at the unveiling the new beach wheelchair at Marble Hill on Tuesday

Sinead also thanked Donegal County Council for facilitating this initiative and the Shandon Hotel for their help in providing a home and safekeeping of the beach wheelchair.

Cathaoirleach Cllr. Gerry McMonagle thanked Sinead and the Órla Memorial 5K fund for this wonderful gift saying “on a day like today when the sun is shining and we are all enjoying this lovely summer weather, we take for granted that everyone has the opportunity to visit the beach. But that is not always the case. Unfortunately if you have mobility issues or are a wheelchair user then going to enjoy the beach is just not an option.

“But today with this wonderful gift from Sinead and her family and the Órla Memorial 5k fund it will now be possible for those in need of a wheelchair or with mobility issues to visit Marble Hill beach and enjoy one of the most beautiful places in Donegal. This is a lovely way of remembering little Órla.”

Director of Service Michael McGarvey also spoke at the unveiling ceremony and thanked Sinead and the Órla Memorial 5K Fund for this wonderful donation and also the Shandon Hotel for agreeing to house the chair and facilitate access to the chair.

This is now the fourth beach wheelchair available in Donegal, with others available at Rathmullan, Downings and Carrickfinn

To book use of the wheelchair at Marble Hill, just contact the Shandon Hotel at 074 91 36137.

The beach wheelchairs can also be booked at Rathmullan by calling Aengus Kennedy at (086) 812 3019, Downings by calling Downings Tidy Towns on (087) 6152351 and Carrickfinn by contacting Donegal Airport at (074) 95 48284.