Malachy O’Rourke, Fintan Kelly and Darren Hughes help launch DiL 2015 Monaghan, along with Pieta House founder Joan Freeman, local athlete Conor Duffy and Jimmy Croarkin of the Monaghan Harps club

Pieta House’s fundraising Darkness into Light 5km walk/run will again take place in Monaghan in the early hours of Saturday, May 9. The 2015 launch was held in the Monaghan Harps GAA clubhouse on April 16, in front of a large attendance of organisers and supporters.

Monaghan Harps GAA Club Chairman Seán McKenna welcomed everyone and introduced Pieta House representatives Joan Freeman, Marie Peelo and Kieran Brady. Ms. Freeman, founder of the suicide and self-harm awareness charity, spoke about how they have opened nine support centres around the country since 2006 – three in the last year – and she thanked everyone involved in Darkness into Light, which is Pieta House’s main fundraiser and is growing all the time, with 80,000 having taken part in 2014. Representatives of the Cavan event and the national sponsors, Electric Ireland, were also in attendance.

Monaghan senior football manager Malachy O’Rourke addressed the attendance and pledged his support and that of his team, including players Fintan Kelly and Darren Hughes, who also helped the launch. He spoke of the importance of people being there for each other, in sport and in life.

Monaghan hosted Darkness into Light for the first time last year, with over 700 taking part, and over 1,000 are expected this time around, following the same route, which starts and finishes at the Harps complex. Anyone wishing to take part can register online at dil.pieta.ie, while the pre-registration days for Monaghan are in the Town Shopping Centre on May 1 & 2 and at the Harps clubhouse on May 5 & 6.