A WALK takes place next month to remember a young man who grew up in West Cork and to raise funds for two charities.
In February 2017, Conor O’Hagan, who grew up in West Cork, tragically died in Tullamore, Co Offaly, after several years travelling around Ireland and Europe.
His dad Kieran, wife Ann, together with Conor’s twin brother Owen will undertake the second 105km ‘Conor’s Walk’, as a memorial to him and to raise money for 22q11 Ireland and Cork Simon.
Conor and Owen were born in Manchester and Conor was diagnosed with the genetic known as 22q11 Deletion Syndrome.
‘It is a very complex condition that can affect many aspects of a person’s health, both physically and mentally As a family, we believe it was responsible for his chaotic adult lifestyle and ultimately caused his tragic death at the tender age of just 25,’ said Kieran.
The family moved to Lislevane, near Clonakilty when the twins were five and Conor later attended Clonakilty Community College.
‘At the at the age of 17, he had a mental breakdown. These years were always a worry, as with 22q11, there is a much higher risk of mental health problems during adolescence and early adulthood than for other young people,’ added Kieran.
‘Within a few short years, Conor was totally alcohol-dependant and homeless.’
Kieran explained how Conor left Cork and moved to Galway in his early 20s and initially seemed happier in himself. ‘However, his drinking was getting even worse and his friendships broke down and so on he moved again. In 2015, after spending a number of months in the mental health unit at Cork University Hospital, at the age of 24, he set off for Europe. He was still in regular touch with home, but more often than not, it was largely incoherent and rambling,’ said Kieran.
In 2017 he died in Tullamore Hospital, with his family by his side.
‘He has left a large hole in the lives of all of us. He was a beautiful son, brother, nephew and cousin,’ said his dad.
The 105km walk will start on April 29th from the Spanish Arch in Galway and conclude in Tullamore, finishing on the May Bank Holiday Monday.
For more, see www.conors-walk.com.
