One of County Limer-ick’s best known businessmen will walk the walk commencing next Tuesday for a very good cause. Athea native, Tom Moran and friends will walk a 250km ‘Tomathon’ from Athea to Dublin on behalf of Pieta House.
Pieta House, the charity dedicated to suicide and self-harm prevention, has saved countless people from suicide. The service is free. Pieta House estimates that for every €1,000 raised they can provide the help and treatment to save a life. “In 2011, 33 people, 27 men and 5 women, died by suicide in Limerick city and county. In the same year, 415 in the Limerick local health area attempted suicide or self-harmed. The figure for Tipperary North/East Limerick was 185 people.
The Tomathon sets off from Athea Community Centre on Tuesday and will finish at the Red Cow Moran Hotel in Dublin on Friday 21st September. The walk is scheduled to commence at 11am sharp and the walkers will head out on the Glin road, turning right for Knocknagorna and Toureen Donnell. There they will pass the house where Tommy was born and reared in Toureen Donnell. The walk will then go along the R523 through the village of Carrickerry and along the N21 into the square in Newcastle West, a distance of 22 kilometres to complete the first day of the jour-ney. Cash donations will be gratefully received at various points throughout and can be made online at www.my charity.ie (search for The Tomathon)
The popular hotelier and owner of the Moran and Bewley’s Hotel Group, was honoured earlier this year, when he was awar-ded the title ‘Limerick Person of the Year’ by the Limerick GAA Sup-porters Club in Dublin.