DHM Committee presents €2,000 to charity groups
The Donegal Half Marathon Committee presented two charity organisations with a total of €2,000 from the proceeds from last year’s event.
We Care Foodbank Letterkenny and The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust were each presented with a cheque for €1,000 at a hand-over ceremony at Kernan’s Bistro in Letterkenny.
Speaking on behalf of the Donegal Half Marathon Committee, Paddy Hannigan said: “The Donegal Half Marathon is able to make donations to charities that actually go out of the way to help other people, and we are delighted to be in a position to present cheques to two charity groups who do such wonderful work.”
“We Care Letterkenny Foodbank and the Kevin Bell Repatriation Fund both provide vital help and assistance to families in times of real need. When people are desperate, they reach out to others and it’s fantastic to see ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Keep up the good work,” he added.
Thanking the committee for their donation, Fintan McGrath, We Care Foodbank Letterkenny PRO, said the organisation has been operating since 2014.
“Ten years ago, we were delivering ten to 15 parcels per week. These days we are handing out over 100 and last year we handed out over 4,500. We rely on the help and support of the local community,” Mr McGrath commented.
“Without the great support we get, we just couldn’t do what we do. Thanks to the support from organisations like the Donegal Half Marathon, we can continue to operate. Hopefully, we are doing some good for the community. Thank you very much for a very generous donation,” he added.
The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, which provides financial assistance and guidance to families seeking to repatriate the remains of loved ones back to the Island of Ireland, was established following the death of Newry man, Kevin Bell, who was killed in a hit-and-run incident in New York in June 2013.
Accepting the cheque on behalf of the trust, Kevin’s father, Colin, said that within a week of his son’s death, €150,000 had been raised. However, after Kevin's American employers agreed to pay to transport his body home, the Bell family decided to use the money to help other families who faced the same situation.
In 2015, the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust became a registered charity in the north and south of Ireland.
“Since Kevin’s death, 2,150 Irish people who have died abroad have been repatriated through the Trust. We don’t get money from the governments north or south. But the truth is we don’t need it because people are so good,” Mr Bell commented.
“We are Ireland’s charity in Kevin’s name and the support we get from the community is just amazing. I extend a big thank you to the Donegal Half Marathon Committee for your donation and I’m delighted to be in the presence of your race ambassador, Danny McDaid. I really appreciate your generosity,” he added.
Since 2020, the Donegal Half Marathon Committee has presented a total of €16,000 to seven charity organisations.
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​2025 Donegal Half Marathon launched
The 2025 Donegal Half Marathon, which will be held in association with Kernan's, will take place on Sunday, August 24th in Letterkenny.
First held in 2014, the race has grown in popularity and attracted almost 600 entries last year. Speaking at the launch of the event, Donegal Half Marathon Chairman, Myles Sweeney, said the ability of the organising committee to attract participants of all abilities and backgrounds is the main reason for the success of the race.
"Retaining the ethos of the Donegal Half Marathon has been important - the model is all about encouraging participation, while it's also about bringing the elite into the event," he added.
"Many groups and individuals play a part in the Donegal Half Marathon. Letterkenny CDP who help us out with the family event and Letterkenny Century Cinemas who are involved in the children's events are key cogs in the Donegal Half Marathon.
"I want to recognise our main sponsors, Kernan's, who have been with us now since 2019. Donegal County Council make a huge contribution every year to the event, and we're delighted with the support we got through the DFI grant. It's great to see Mayor Gerry McMonagle and Cllr Donal Mandy Kelly here and we appreciate your support," Mr Sweeney said.
"We also get support from Optum, Failte Ireland, Irish Red Cross and Donegal Sports Partnership. Thanks, also to John Watson of Watson Hire who gives us great support and it's nice to see Garda Fintan Smith here representing An Garda Siochana whose help and support is crucial in the staging of the race. We extend our good wishes to Garda Sergeant Eunan Walsh and wish him a speedy recovery. Eunan has been a real support to us since the race first began," he added.
Speaking on behalf of Kernan's, Damian Daly said: "It's a great privilege for us to be involved with the Donegal Half Marathon. This is our seventh year to be involved after getting a call from the late Dessie Larkin. It's a Donegal event and it's great for us to be associated with a county event. I thank the committee for all the work you do and thank Cathal Curran from Kernan's for all the work he does for the event every year."
In his address, Mayor of Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District, Cllr Gerry McMonagle said: "I'm delighted to be here and thank you for the invite. On the way here this evening, I was just thinking back to the night Dessie brought in the motion to start this event, and it got the full support of the members. He outlined what it would mean, how it would get people involved and how it would help to promote healthy lifestyles and athletics, while also putting Donegal in the map.
"It has gone from strength to strength and it's great to see the buy-in from the community and the businesses who support the event as well year on year. With my other hat on with Letterkenny CDP, we are delighted to be part of the Donegal Half Marathon and helping out with the family fun aspect of the day.”
"The one thing about athletics is that it is all about family and it is all about community and it’s great that we have projects like the CDP to help out and be part of things. The Donegal Half Marathon is good for the town as it puts it on the map and it's also good for athletics. My own family in Derry is very much into athletics. They very much look forward to the race and hear of other clubs in Derry talking about it. Let's hope this year's event is as successful as those in previous years and grows from strength to strength,” Mayor McMonagle added.
To register for the 2025 Donegal Half Marathon, follow the link below:
https://eventmaster.ie/event/Bk4EH23c8j
To access the QR code, follow the link below:
https://eventmaster.ie/event/Bk4EH23c8j/qrcode

Relay section to return to Donegal Half Marathon
The relay is set to make a return in this year's Donegal Half Marathon on Sunday, August 24th.
After several years without the relay section, organisers of the Letterkenny-based event, which will once again be held in association with Kernan's, have opted to reintroduce it.
Speaking about the decision, race director, Brendan McDaid said: "We incorporated a relay section for a few years, but due to drop in interest before Covid, we decided to discontinue it."
"We've had a number of running groups approach us to bring it back again, so we are going with it again this year. Hopefully, the relay section will attract a good number of teams, and it will certainly add to the overall event. The relay section opens the Donegal Half Marathon up to another group of runners and walkers, so we're looking forward to the return of the relay race," he added.
The relay section will see teams of three coming together to complete the 13.1-mile (21k) distance, with each member completing a 7K leg. The first changeover point will be at Crievesmith, with the second point at Rashedog.
In 2024, the Donegal Half Marathon, first held in 2014, attracted an entry of almost 600. The race director is expecting another big field for this year's race.
"Since Covid, the numbers in the Donegal Half Marathon have been growing steadily which we are delighted about. Entries are coming in much earlier than in previous years which suggests there is a big interest out there in the race. It offers a good course that is safe and well marshalled, and everyone is always well looked after on the day. The children's races also add to the occasion," Brendan commented.
"Only the first 500 entries will be guaranteed a specially commissioned long-sleeved top, so my advice to those thinking about taking part is to get entered online as early as possible," he added.
To register for the full distance and the relay section, follow the link below:
https://eventmaster.ie/event/Bk4EH23c8j
QR code: https://eventmaster.ie/event/Bk4EH23c8j/qrcode

Errigal Mountain is centrepiece of 2025 Donegal Half Marathon medal
Participants in the 2025 Donegal Half Marathon, which is being held in association with Kernan’s, will be presented with a medal containing an image of Errigal Mountain.
In previous years, the medal centrepiece had images of Fanad Lighthouse, Sliabh Liag, New Mills Corn and Flax Mill and Malin Head.
“After Covid, the Donegal Half Marathon Committee joined forces with Fáilte Ireland in an effort to promote the Wild Atlantic Way through the event,” commented race director, Brendan McDaid.
This will be the fifth year that one of the 39 discovery points along the Wild Atlantic Way will be used in the finishers’ medals which are proving to be something of a collector’s item.
“Adopting a different signature point from different parts of the county every year to include in the marathon medal has given the event a real Donegal feel,” the race director added.
This year’s Donegal Half Marathon takes place in Letterkenny on Sunday, August 24th in Letterkenny and the event has a 9.20 am start.
“Entries have been coming in at a steady rate since we launched the race back in March and there’s also a good interest in the relay section which we decided to bring back and that’s another positive,” Brendan said.
“We are three months out from this year’s Donegal Half Marathon and preparations are going well. Last year we had almost 600 entries and 500 finishers. We are expecting a similar entry this year and hopefully we will have an even bigger entry. There’s certainly a growing demand for long distance races.
“The Bundoran and Ballyliffen 10 Milers were both sold out, as was the Strabane-Lifford Half Marathon on Sunday which sold out after attracting a maximum entry of 1,500,” he added.
To register for the full distance or the relay section, follow the link below:
https://eventmaster.ie/event/Bk4EH23c8j
QR code: https://eventmaster.ie/event/Bk4EH23c8j/qrcode