A GROUP of Transition Year students from Crescent College Comprehensive will run in the upcoming Limerick Women’s Mini-Marathon to raise much-needed funds for St Gabriel’s School and Centre in Dooradoyle.

St Gabriel’s has paid tribute to the students, who visited the school the day after they received their Junior Certificate results last week, for their decision to train for the event.

They will help to raise funds to complete a €2 million hydrotherapy pool, which is due to open shortly.

This innovative project includes an extension to therapy services—which will cost €4.6 million overall—and has also received funding from the JP McManus Golf Classic in 2005.

Sean O’Callaghan, Transition Year Co-Ordinator at Crescent College said that “it is a very worthwhile experience” for the transition years to support St Gabriel’s in its efforts.

“The mini marathon will provide an ideal means of encouraging them to develop a healthy and positive attitude to exercise early in life and a special fitness programme will be built around their PE class in preparation for the mini marathon on October 5. Having visited St Gabriel’s School, our transition group will feel more motivated, knowing that their efforts to raise sponsorship will help support children with a range of disabilities.”

Máire O’Leary, CEO of St Gabriel’s Centre, told the students that their efforts “will now cut out the time and stress that many families of children with disabilities spend travelling to Dublin to receive hydrotherapy treatment”.

“A number of our children undergo complex surgery and now for the first time hydrotherapy treatment will be available locally. We have waited a long time for this and our children deserve to have this essential facility available to them in their own region.”

St Gabriel’s is also appealing to the community to take part in the mini marathon or make a donation to the project.

For more information, contact Kate Sheahan on 061-302733 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .