Kildare cousins fly home for Dublin Marathon in memory of late aunt

Two Kildare cousins who are now living abroad are set to reunite for the 2024 Dublin Marathon in memory of their beloved Aunt Mary Nolan, a kidney patient, from Clonmel, Co Tipperary.

Despite residing in different countries, Thea Ui Lionnain in Edinburgh, Scotland and Niamh Brennan in Berlin, Germany, the cousins who grew up in neighbouring towns Kilcock and Maynooth remain incredibly close and are committed to raising funds for the Irish Kidney Association through online donations.

The cousins are both fluent Irish speakers and passionate about fundraising for the charity that helped their family through challenging times.

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Thea has previously participated in several Edinburgh half marathons, cycled the Ring of Kerry in 2018, and ran the Dublin Marathon in 2015, all in support of the Irish Kidney Association and in memory of Mary who was just 52 years old when she passed away.

“We’re not just running for ourselves,” Thea explained. “We’re doing this for our entire extended family, who are fully behind us, as we all want to honour Mary’s memory together.”

“Mary lived with type 1 diabetes from a young age and later developed chronic kidney disease, enduring 2 years of dialysis and long journeys for treatment to Beaumont Hospital from Clonmel three times a week.

“It was a tough experience for her, and her husband Martin who drove her to her dialysis treatment, but our family found comfort in the support provided by the Irish Kidney Association and its Support Centre located on the grounds of Beaumont Hospital, especially during those difficult days,” 

Thea concluded: “She received a kidney transplant in 2004 and we remain forever grateful to her deceased kidney donor for ending those years of dialysis. She passed away in 2011 as a result of complications with her diabetes.”

“Many of our relatives still reside in Clonmel including our aunt Ann and cousin Gráinne and Mary’s husband Martin. Martin has said that the IKA Support Centre was an absolute godsend both when Mary was being treated for kidney disease and during the last couple of weeks of her life.”

Niamh, who will be travelling from Berlin to take part in the marathon, echoed her cousin’s sentiment: “Our aunt Mary was deeply loved, and the Irish Kidney Association helped her and our family immensely. By running the marathon, we hope to raise awareness and funds so that other families can benefit from the same support.”

Both Thea and Niamh are eagerly looking forward to the Marathon and the opportunity to do something meaningful in their aunt’s memory. They hope to raise significant funds to ensure the Irish Kidney Association can continue its vital work helping those affected by kidney disease and their families.