Rose Escorts Daithí Fitzgerald, Ethan O’Connor, Kevin Ross, Simon Corridon and Connor O’Donoghue.THE five Kerry Rose Escorts for the 2026 Rose of Tralee Festival are inviting the public to a Coffee Morning in aid of Youth Suicide Prevention Ireland on Friday, July 10, from 10am to 1pm at Kirby’s Brogue Inn, Tralee.
The event marks the beginning of the group’s “Up & Down Challenge”, a fundraising campaign that will also see the Escorts climb Ireland’s highest mountain and complete a skydive to raise vital funds and awareness for Youth Suicide Prevention Ireland (YSPI).
The five Kerry Rose Escorts – Daithí Fitzgerald, Ethan O’Connor, Kevin Ross, Simon Corridon and Connor O’Donoghue – chose the charity in recognition of the growing mental health challenges facing young people, particularly in rural communities.
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Daithí Fitzgerald said: “As young men, we know there can still be a stigma around talking about mental health. Rural isolation, social media pressures and the challenges facing young people today can leave many feeling overwhelmed. We wanted to use our time as Kerry Rose Escorts to raise awareness and remind people that there is always someone to talk to and that support is available.”
Simon Corridon added: “The Rose of Tralee is about celebrating community, friendship and bringing people together. As this year’s Kerry Rose Escorts, we wanted to use the platform the festival gives us to shine a light on an issue that affects so many young people and families across Ireland. If our campaign encourages even one person to reach out for help or start a conversation, then it will have been worthwhile.”
The campaign takes its name from the emotional highs and lows that everyone experiences throughout life.
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Kevin Ross said: “Life has its ups and downs. We all have good days and bad days. By climbing Ireland’s highest mountain and skydiving, we’re hoping to symbolise those ups and downs while raising funds for a charity doing incredible work supporting young people across Ireland.”
For almost 20 years, Youth Suicide Prevention Ireland has delivered mental health education, suicide prevention programmes, school resources and crisis counselling support for young people throughout the country.
The five Kerry Rose Escorts are encouraging everyone to come along to the coffee morning, enjoy a cup of coffee, and support a cause that is making a real difference to young people’s lives.
Those who cannot attend can also support the campaign through the group’s GoFundMe page, “Kerry Rose Escorts Fundraising for Youth Suicide Prevention Ireland,” which is also linked in each of the Escorts’ social media profiles and at https://gofund.me/64ac3b0ee
Everyone is welcome at the coffee morning, and every donation, no matter how big or small, will go directly towards supporting the work of Youth Suicide Prevention Ireland.
