At the start line of today’s 2023 Irish Life Dublin Marathon, Lord Mayor of Dublin, Daithí de Róiste presented the Lord Mayor’s Medal to a very worthy recipient in Rita Casey.
The Charlestown mum of three is taking on the challenge of completing today’s Dublin Marathon despite battling cancer.
Rita Casey is running her fifth Dublin Marathon but this time does so during an ongoing battle with cancer.
Rita, who is married to former Mayo footballer and well-known GAA pundit John Casey, received over 40 nominations from family and friends for the Lord Mayor’s medal award; all of these were testament of her bravery and courage in battling stage four cancer while endeavouring to live as normal a life as possible for her three girls.
A native of Donegal, avid runner and member of An Garda Síochána, Rita is running her fifth Dublin Marathon. She will be part of the ‘blue-line’ running alongside fellow Gardaí. Rita is running in aid of Mayo/Roscommon Hospice who have supported her following her secondary cancer diagnosis in May 2021. Many of those who nominated Rita cited that she has shown incredible spirit and has an ability to give hope to all those around her.
Running is a great source of stress relieve for Rita and today with the assistance of medication she has been able to take on the courageous challenge of completing the 26.2 miles around the streets of Dublin.
“The Lord Mayor’s Medal presented at the Dublin Marathon is about honouring individuals who have shown true resilience and determination, and Rita exemplifies that,” said the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Daithí de Róiste, adding that he was honoured to present the medal to Rita Casey. “Despite her own personal health struggles, she is running the Irish Life Dublin Marathon to raise funds for the Mayo/Roscommon Hospice, that is a true act of heroism”.
Rita Casey at the start line of Sunday’s Dublin Marathon with Dublin Lord Mayor Daithí de Róiste and her husband John Casey.
