Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
DONAL WALSH, THE teenager with terminal cancer who called on teens not to take their own lives, has died.
The Tralee teen had inspired many when he went public with his thoughts about the rate of teen suicides in Ireland.
He had been fighting cancer for the third time at the age of just 16, and passed away peacefully at home in Blennerville yesterday.
After writing an article on the issue of teen suicide, he spoke frankly on The Saturday Night Show about his thoughts.
“I just didn’t want them to see suicide as a solution to any of life’s problems,” he said.
It hurts me to see them think about it, to see it among their friends. But it kills me because I’m here fighting for my life for the third time, I’ve no say in anything, and I’m still here waking up every day and then they think they have a problem and this might be a solution. That makes me angry.
He said that people have to realise that there is help for them.
Here, Donal speaks about his illness and about why he wants teens not to consider taking their own lives:
(RTÉ/YouTube)
On Twitter, where he had in excess of 14,000 followers, Donal was candid about his illness – and showed that he had defied the odds after being told he might not make it to last Christmas:
Tributes
More than 76,000 people have liked a Facebook page, Rest In Peace Donal Walsh, that pays tribute to the teen.
Local parish priest Fr Francis Nolan told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that Donal “has become an inspiration” and said that “never once did he show bitterness about being ill”.
While speaking to Brendan O’Connor on the Saturday Night Show, Walsh was touchingly honest about the fact he faced an early death, and said he hoped that it might inspire others to appreciate their lives:
If I am meant to be a symbol for people to appreciate life, it mightn’t be suicide in particular, but just to appreciate life more in general, then I will be happy to die, if that is what I am dying for.
A requiem mass for Donal will take place on Wednesday at 12 noon in St John’s Church, Tralee, and he will be buried afterwards in Rath Cemetery.
His family have asked for donations in lieu of flowers to the Palliative Care Unit, Kerry General Hospital and Care 4 Kids, care of the Gleasure Funeral Home.
(Donal Walsh/YouTube)
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Sure gsoc find the gards guilty until inncoent. They dont trust them anyway
@O Hiongardail Collie: Garda don’t seem to trust Garda. Hense the growing number of whistle blowers.
@Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: so many of them know of the criminals within but
say what you want about the guards, but of all the main stories of a member being prosecuted, the majority have been prosecuted by a fellow Garda and not GSOC. The DPP also have to make a decision. so it’s difficult to hide. GSOC seem to constantly be complaining. They should look at their own behaviour. What about the poor sergeant in Donegal who committed suicide after they failed to tell him he was clear of his complaint!
No change in the GDA force, still the same corrupt,deceitful, culture going on.
@@mdmak33: all of them?
@Patrick James Walsh: typically from Irish politicians, they set up a garda ombudman purely for show, but gave no real powers to the office. It’s all for show to make it look as if we are doing something about police curruption
If there are criminal investigations then a file is submitted to the DPP’s office for recommendations,so how is there any room for interference, usually the DPP’s office recommend prosecution and allow the courts to adjudicate when a member of the gardai is involved.
This is a cryptic message from GSOC to the public about an Garda Corruptchána. Thank you for putting us on alert, although I suspect many will not be surprised. It seems that our national police force needs to be dredged to remove the filth that has been festering all these years. Has anyone an update on the missing phones from the Maurice McCabe case?
Guards covering up for their own surely this has never & will never happen in cronyism ireland
I currently have a complaint lodged against the Garda with gsoc the investigating superintendent has so far not investigated nothing only believing the Garda with whom the complaint is lodged just because he a superintendent doesn’t mean he not corrupt
@James Wallace: GSOC have more statutory powers than Gardai actually.
@Jumanji: but yet the Gardai can and do refuse to cooperate with them?
@James Wallace: because GSOC was never intended to have any teeth, it was always supposed to be window dressing. It was introduced by Michael McDowell in 2004 as Justice minister in the teeth of opposition from Garda management and the representative bodies, and now we know why. Every Police force in the world except those in `Police states`, have some form of complaints/ombudsman procedure.
But An Garda Siochana do not see themselves as being accountable to anyone. Bizarrely the legislation allows GSOC to hand the complaints made against members back to the force to investigate themselves! it could only happen in Ireland.
Do these people not know of the maxim thou shall not be a judge of self thus they are breaking Common law
What’s new with the gardai the constitution is also a joke with them
Well in fairness, of course they can be accused of a cover up. If you want it reported to the ombudsman, then make it more than a recommendation.
That ending to Line of Duty was rubbish, so disappointing
@Patrick James Walsh: they hand it back when they deem it appropriate to be handled internally. A minor infraction not involving the public. GSOC have plenty of teeth more invasive than Garda powers. The problem is that you just expected more corruption than there is, so you lash out and call GSOC corrupt or toothless
have your say