Mary Encourages People To Take Part In ‘Relay For Life’ In Lyreacrompane

LYREACROMPANE woman, Mary Leane, is encouraging people right across Kerry to come along to Relay for Life Kerry at  Lyreacrompane Resource Centre on September 5.

The community is being invited to come along to the 24-hour event, which starts at 1pm and is in aid of the Irish Cancer Society. Relay For Life brings the local community together to celebrate cancer survivors and remember those who have been lost to cancer.

Participants team up and take it in turns to walk through the day and night, with someone always on the move during the 24-hour period.

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A key feature of every Relay For Life is the survivors’ lap, where cancer survivors who have lived or are living with cancer are invited to open the event with a special celebratory lap of their local Relay track.

A moving Candle of Hope ceremony is one of the main highlights of Relay For Life. Thousands of candle bags that have been personalised with messages of hope and remembrance illuminate the Relay track in celebration of cancer survivorship and to honour loved ones lost to cancer.

The uplifting Relay For Life event also features entertainment and fun for all the family. The funds raised at Relay For Life are essential to enable the Irish Cancer Society to provide free, vital support services to people affected by cancer across Ireland and to fuel ground-breaking cancer research.

Mary Leane, who is originally from Kildare but has lived in Kerry for 40 years and has seen the impact of cancer in her own family, said: “In 2000, my dad, Larry Martin Snr, had prostate cancer. He had his prostate removed and didn’t need any further treatment.

“A few years later, his mam – my grandmother – developed oesophageal cancer, which she later passed away from, and Dad in the meantime had bowel cancer and had to have surgery and radiotherapy, which were successful.

“Dad has had skin cancer as well. He’s had eight different surgeries to have it removed from different places. But he’s 89 now and he’s still full of beans.”

The family’s first experience of Relay For Life was at the Kildare event in 2024. However, Mary’s daughter, Clíona, was already familiar with Relay as she was on the organising committee of Relay For Life UCC in 2019.

After the family attended their first Relay together in Kildare, they were so moved by the experience that they decided they wanted to bring Relay For Life to Kerry.

Commenting on her experiences at Relay For Life, Mary said: “It was so emotional seeing my dad taking off around the Relay track in his purple survivors’ t-shirt. I was so proud. The team that followed the survivors’ lap were cheering them all on.

“We were looking around at everything that was happening, and I remember Clíona saying to me, ‘We could do this at home’. I was really moved by the power of Relay and seeing people celebrating being cancer survivors and remembering loved ones they’ve lost.

“After that, we contacted the Irish Cancer Society to see if we could bring Relay For Life to Kerry and it all went from there.”

Speaking about her and her family’s preparations for Relay For Life in Kerry, Mary said: “Dad had a stroke in February, and he uses a rollator now, but he’s been practising with it at his home in Kildare to prepare for doing the survivors’ lap. He still has his purple survivors’ t-shirt and is looking forward to putting it on again.

“I’m excited about Relay For Life Kerry – Lyreacrompane, and I’m overwhelmed with how much it’s taken off. So many people have gotten behind it. I’m absolutely gobsmacked.

“I know it’ll be a lovely event and the teams we have are brilliant. I’m very excited about it, and I’ll be doing it in honour of my cousin – if she was still alive, she would have walked the track with all of us and would’ve been a big part of it all. Everyone is welcome to come along and join in.”

Ciara Hughes, Relay For Life Campaign Manager at the Irish Cancer Society, said: “People across the country have always enthusiastically supported Relay For Life, and in doing so they generously support the vital services provided by the Irish Cancer Society to ensure that no one in Ireland has to face cancer alone.

“We’re delighted that Relay for Life will be in Kerry this year. We encourage everyone to come along to this year’s event, which gives people in the area the opportunity to remember their loved ones and celebrate survivors within their community.”

People are welcome to come along to Relay For Life Kerry – Lyreacrompane at any time from 1pm on the 5th of September until 1pm on the 6th of September. If you’d like to purchase a candle bag or find out more information, visit www.relayforlife.ie/event/kerry-lyreacrompane