Colin Farrell takes part in Dublin Marathon as actor and friend hope ...
‘It’s going to be magic. I haven’t got the miles in that I would have liked but it’ll be grand’
Irish actor Colin Farrell has spoken of his excitement about running the Dublin City Marathon in his home town — and he’s thrilled at the prospect of crossing the finish line with friend Emma Fogarty.
Colin and Emma will be among more than 22,000 participants to take to the streets of Dublin today and in doing so, they’re raising badly needed funding for an Irish charity.
This year’s marathon will start on Leeson Street Lower and finish on Mount Street Upper, with runners passing through some of the city’s most iconic landmarks.
“It’ll be lovely. I actually had a thought yesterday, just to not forget to take it all in,” said Colin.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever do another Dublin marathon, and I’m doing it with my close friend, and for my close friend, and for myself and for Debra and for anyone who’s living and suffering with EB.
Patient Ambassador of DEBRA Ireland Emma Fogarty with Colin Farrell
“It’s going to be an amazing experience. I’m so excited about the day, and I just can’t believe that it was mentioned a few years ago and that we have been talking about and really focusing on it for the last year, really looking forward to it, and now we’re only days out. It’ll be beautiful.
“It’s going to be good craic,” added the Irish actor. “It’s going to be magic. I haven’t got the miles in that I would have liked to have gotten in, but it’s fine. It’ll be grand.”
The Dublin suburb of Castleknock — where the actor grew up — is on this year’s marathon route. Children at The Penguin star’s former school, St Brigid’s National School, were this weekend preparing posters to support the actor as he passes through the village, and shared their support on X.
Emma is one of 300 people in Ireland who suffers from epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a painful, debilitating and incurable condition that affects the body’s largest organ — the skin.
Emma, who recently turned 40, will join Colin for the final four kilometres of the marathon — one for every decade of her life. It will be a huge physical challenge for the Co Laois woman, one of the oldest survivors of EB in Ireland.
Colin Farrell's old National School St Brigid's NS supporting his marathon efforts
The duo have already raised over €670,000 and are hoping this weekend to reach the magic million mark, thanks, they say, to the generosity and support of the Irish people and others who have followed their story internationally. Interest in their story has grown, with Emma interviewed for top US shows including Today.
“There are 300 people living with all three forms of EB,” said Emma. “With my form, there are seven people but overall, there are 300 and the money that we would get would mainly go towards nursing services.
“My mam was doing my dressings up until I was about 28. There are parents out there still doing their children’s dressings now, and I know from experience what it’s like. You’re going to endure pain and difficulties. I’ve been through that, my family has been through that.
“Those nursing services would provide so much change, because a mother should be a mother, a father should be a father. They’re not nurses. Their job is not to be a nurse, their job is to be their mother and their father, to hold their child’s hand.”
This week, Emma and Colin were in her native Abbeyleix, taking part in a dummy run for today’s marathon. “We just went for our maiden voyage,” said Colin.
Pals Colin and Emma have set a new target
“The chair is feeling good, nice and sturdy. We took a walk down to the village, and people were stopping and having a chat with Emma, pushing me out of the way to get to her, and wishing her all the luck in the world, and saying how proud they were of her and what an amazing woman she is, because it’s a huge achievement.
“It just shows how much Emma’s willing to help raise funds and awareness for others. It’s monumental. And the support as represented by the donations made as well, the support has been extraordinary.”
Both Emma and Colin called out the Irish Government, which has in past years provided no funding to Debra Ireland. Emma says she and other families with EB feel let down by the State.
“We thought we might get half or something. But to get zero. They know about us. It’s just an insult. If they walked in my shoes, and my family’s, my parents’ shoes for one day, we would have that money tomorrow, and I can guarantee you that, because they don’t know what we go through.
You can sponsor Emma and Colin on debra.ie
Follow their progress on: Instagram @debraireland, Twitter @debraireland and Facebook DEBRA.Ireland
