'She was always someone who drove me to try and challenge myself as much as I could'

DARAGH MCDONNELL GOT the call from his younger brother Niall on Halloween night two years ago.

‘Do you want to run the Dublin Marathon?’

It was the furthest thing from Daragh’s mind then. Like his brother, he grew up playing rugby for St Mary’s and later joined Terenure, before injuries forced him to pack it in.

He ran the Berlin Half Marathon in 2022 but hadn’t run since then, until that phone call changed everything.

Niall wanted to run the Dublin Marathon for a breast cancer charity after Breeda, their mother, passed away in 2021. He applied to two charities, the National Breast Cancer Research Institute and Breast Cancer Ireland.

Both organisations approved his application at the same time, and Niall didn’t want to let either down. Hence the call to his sibling.

‘It was a no-brainer, so I said yes,’ said Daragh, smiling at the memory. ‘That’s how it actually ended up coming about. My brother and I both ran it last year. His partner and her entire family ran it as well, so it was great.

‘We pulled up to the family house on the morning of the race as we were heading into town. He said, “I’ll see you at the finish line”, and I said, “Not a chance”. I beat him by about 15 minutes.’

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Daragh’s primary goal was to finish his first marathon – and to do so in under four hours, if he could. He made it with four minutes to spare.

He is back for another go on Sunday, running on behalf of the National Breast Cancer Research Institute, and the ambition this time is to finish in under three hours and 30 minutes. 

He ran the Barcelona Marathon earlier this year, finishing halfway between his target time and his debut time last October.

Breeda is his inspiration. She was just 59 when she passed away after being diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, which typically doesn’t respond well to treatment.

His goal is to help improve treatment and diagnosis to improve outcomes for those affected by breast cancer in the future. Currently, one in seven Irish women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. There are 3,507 cases diagnosed annually, and that figure is expected to rise.

The NBCRI is a national charity that funds a comprehensive research programme at the University of Galway, with the aim of improving outcomes for those who develop the disease in the future.

‘She was always someone who drove me to try and challenge myself as much as I could in every area of life, whether that’s business, sport or just life in general,’ Daragh said.

‘She was someone who always pushed me, but she was also someone who was very charitable. She was a very caring and selfless person.

‘Her entire career was built on getting funding for different types of underprivileged areas and underprivileged people.

‘When the opportunity came up to run the marathon in her name or in her honour, it was a no-brainer, really. She was an amazing person. I just try to live life with her values in mind and, hopefully, keep her in my thoughts every day.’

His experience in Barcelona was a little easier than in Dublin last year, so he is hoping Sunday will be a little easier again.

The fact that it is his home race, in his home city, makes him excited about what’s to come.

‘You obviously see so much of the city and go into the Phoenix Park and everything, but it’s just packed at every turn,’ he said. ‘There’s never a moment when you go through a section where there’s no support or no help.

‘It’s amazing going through the different parts of the city and seeing the different types of support and the way people support you.

‘In some places, people are banging drums and singing and shouting, and then some people are cooking barbecues in the front garden. Some people are handing out baked goods, and some people are handing out food that you’ll never touch in your life.

‘Everyone’s supporting someone or will support you even if they don’t know you. Or you end up somewhere in the city you’ve maybe never been before, and there’s someone you recognise.

‘It’s amazing. The atmosphere is insane. I’ve done Barcelona with a few friends, and I’ve done other races in other cities, and every single person says there’s nothing quite like Dublin. I can’t wait to do it again.’

*Daragh McDonnell is participating in the Irish Life Dublin Marathon and raising funds for the National Breast Cancer Research Institute. He can be supported at https://eventmaster.ie/​fundraising/pages/DM65704512