Fundraising hits ten times the target as racing rallies behind Alan O’Sullivan’s charity run

Alan O’Sullivan has described the response to his charity run in the Cork city half-marathon in honour of his late brother Michael as "unbelievable", having already raised ten times as much money as anticipated.

With seven weeks still to go before donations close, the amateur rider and his cousin David O'Sullivan have already generated more than €30,000 for Bru Columbanus, which provides emergency accommodation for families with a seriously ill loved one in Cork city hospitals. 

The charity helped the O'Sullivan family immensely when Michael was in the intensive care unit at Cork University Hospital. He died aged 24 on February 16, having been in an induced coma after he sustained head injuries in a fall at Thurles on February 6.

• Donate here

The O'Sullivan cousins will line up for the half-marathon in their native county on June 1 to raise money for Brú Columbanus. However, people can donate until July 1.

“Bru Columbanus were a massive help to us when Michael was in hospital,” said Alan O'Sullivan. 

“They’re just across the road from the hospital and they put my parents up for free, which we're so grateful for. My parents could be there first thing in the morning and stay until late at night. It was a safe place for them to go and be close to Michael and feel like they didn’t have to leave him.

“The charity operates solely on fundraising and they haven’t had any this year, so this is a big one for them to try to get some funding.”

Michael O'Sullivan dies in February following a fall at ThurlesCredit: Patrick McCann

To have already passed the €30,000 mark has taken the young amateur rider by surprise.

“It's unbelievable. We set the target at €3,000, so we're ten times over that,” he said. “The racing community has been incredible and this is just another sign of that.”

Alan O’Sullivan enjoyed a breakthrough campaign on the track last season, riding six winners under rules, and last weekend teamed up with his uncle Eugene for a winner at Cork, The Dooner Citizen, to keep the ball rolling into the new term.

A familiar face on the point-to-point scene, the 21-year-old is just one win away from equalling his personal-best tally of ten from last season. The point-to-point campaign wraps up in June.

On his preparation for the half-marathon, O’Sullivan said: “The training is good. It's hard to find the time between racing to get out for a run, but there’s a good few of us doing it together and we're trying to keep each other going. I'm looking forward to it."

To donate, visit idonate.ie/fundraiser/MichaelOSullivanFamily. There are also links on the runners' social media pages.

Read these next:

'It's a season that will be remembered for the wrong reason' - Townend remembers Michael O'Sullivan after winning seventh title 

Review into death of Michael O'Sullivan reveals no fault found but recommends new watering system at Thurles 

'There's definitely someone looking down on us today' - Jazzy Matty completes emotional double to honour Michael O'Sullivan 

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