*Orla, Rosie and Anthony (RIP) Foley.
A WELL-KNOWN KILLALOE family are on target to raise €40,000 for three charities.
In a bid to gather much needed finance for three family centric charities, Orla’s Wildways was set up by Orla Foley, her sister Rosie and their extended family.
Following the sudden death of Anthony Foley in 2016 at the age of 42, the Foley family have aspired to keep his memory alive through their involvement in numerous worthwhile ventures.
To date ‘Orla’s Wildways’ has raised much needed funds for CRY, CARI and Mid-Western Cancer Foundation. So far, they have brought in over €32,000 and are heading towards the goal of €40,000.
Orla said, “I feel privileged to be able to raise money for these wonderful charities, all of whom are doing sterling work for people in their communities. CARI (Children at Risk in Ireland) is helping to support and health those innocents who have been damaged by sexual abuse. Sexual Abuse is definitely a ‘grief’ for those who have been affected”.
“The saddest thing imaginable in my life was the untimely passing of my big brother, Anthony Foley. However, out of this darkness, a seed of life and hope has emerged, in the form of Orla’s Wildways and a new and beautiful anthem in Anthony’s memory, ‘Alone You Stand’, penned and sung by his good friend and teammate, Barry Murphy, the proceeds of which will go towards these three charities”.
During the pandemic, she uncovered “a strange blessing”. “With no matches, weddings or birthdays to attend, I was inspired to cycle the whole of the Wild Atlantic Way in memory of Anthony in my spare time, so most weekends, I would head off to some part of the Way and pedal until I had cycled more than 3,000kms of our beautiful Atlantic Coastline from Kinsale in Cork to Muff in Donegal”.
She added, “I am steeped in rugby, Thomond Park is my church and Lansdowne Road is my cathedral. Even my very beginnings were affected by rugby as apparently, I decided to arrive early. Dad was away on International Duty against Wales and my poor Mum had to drive herself eleven country (literally) miles to the maternity hospital. My first visit to the cathedral was the Ireland Vs Wales game in 1988, watching big brother Anthony and big sister Rosie don the green jersey and follow in our Dad’s footsteps”.
Rosie continued the epic fundraising feats by circumnavigating New York City this year. The swim was an incredible 28.5 miles navigating 20 Bridges around Manhattan Island. This was her third international endurance swim having previously swam the English Channel and the Straights of Gilbraltar.
Rosie herself played for the Ireland Rugby team, has an All-Ireland Ladies Football medal with Clare, and has other numerous awards. She is currently president of Killaloe Ballina Rugby Club, a full time PE teacher, a wife and mother of three children.
