Donegal families and schools encouraged to support this year’s MS Readathon

Donegal schools and families are being asked to use the superpower of reading to support this year’s MS Readathon. 

This comes as Meath footballer Cillian O’Sullivan has backed the major fundraiser for MS Ireland, which kicks off on November 1. The Royals forward has been living with the neurological condition, which came as a ‘bolt out of the blue’ in late 2023. And he told how acknowledging the rollercoaster of emotions through therapy has helped him to manage it.

The 31-year-old clinical psychologist, who lives in Dublin with his wife Caoimhe, is now encouraging Donegal families to sign up to this year’s MS Readathon, calling it a way to unlock learning and raise vital funds for MS services.

One of Ireland’s longest-running charity events, it has inspired a love of reading among young people across the country for the past 39 years.  "MS is one of the most common neurological conditions in the country. I would be upfront about it, sharing my diagnosis with close friends and family,” said O’Sullivan.“I would have been in therapy before I had the diagnosis, so I knew the benefit of going back and talking about the feelings; the anxiety, the fear and the shame, and working through those rather than locking them in a room.”

As a child at Gaelscoil na Ríthe in Dunshaughlin, Co. Meath, participating in the MS Readathon transported him to a world of wonder and learning. “In a way, your ability to read and to discern is a superpower,” said the inter-county star.

Taking part in the MS Readathon is simple. After registering, participants are encouraged to read as many books as possible between November 1 and December 15, while seeking sponsorship from family and friends to raise funds. 

This helps support over 11,000 people living with MS and their families, according to MS chief executive, Ava Battles. “We are looking for schools across Donegal to sign up for Readathon and use our support materials to set reading challenges for pupils that will inspire their imaginations and create a positive habit that can last a lifetime,” she said.

“And it’s not just schools that share the joy of the Readathon – families, book clubs, workplaces and groups of all ages will be helping us to raise vital funds for essential services for the MS community in Ireland.”

After his diagnosis, Cillian said one of the first things he did was to research athletes and MS because he knew that the power of stories allows us to understand that others have walked the path before us. “I think if I can be helpful to anyone in any way by being authentic about it and being open and honest, I want to be. You get messages of support when you share your story. I don’t see any shame or feel any fear about that. We are a country where shame was weaponised quite a lot and we have to address that.”