Mayo hotelier embarks on 250km challenge, retracing path of his late wife
The Cork2Cong Challenge was created in memory of Niall’s late wife, Stella.
This month, well-known hotelier Niall Rochford of Ashford Castle, will embark on a 12-day, 250km walk from Cork to Cong, Co. Mayo, to raise vital funds and awareness for pancreatic cancer.
The Cork2Cong Challenge was created in memory of Niall’s late wife, Stella, who was born in Cork and studied at UCC. Tragically, Stella passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2022, just eight weeks following her shock diagnosis.
Starting on 28th October from Honan Chapel in UCC, Niall will follow a path that mirrors the journey of Stella’s life. From Cork City, he will head to Limerick and Clare, where he and Stella met and welcomed their first child. He will then continue on to Galway, where their family grew, before finally arriving on November 8th in Cong, Co. Mayo, the place they called home and where Stella is now laid to rest.
Niall is inviting members of the public, friends and family to support him along the route, or to take their own ‘Steps for Action’. to help raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer Ireland, a new charity co-founded by Niall, earlier this year.
Sporting legends including Katie Taylor and David O’Leary have pledged their support by way of video messages, which will be posted on pancreaticcancerireland.ie and on Instagram @pancreaticcancerireland.
5 in 6 The Cork2Cong Challenge not only retraces Stella’s life story but also highlights the urgent need for greater awareness of pancreatic cancer, a disease that affects more than 600 people in Ireland each year and tragically claims the lives of five out of six patients diagnosed.
Pancreatic Cancer Ireland, which was co-founded earlier this year by Niall, together with Rachel Duquesnois and Pamela Deasy, whose lives have been deeply impacted by the disease, and is supported by leading medical experts including; Prof. Aisling Barry, Radiation Oncologist and Chair of Radiation Oncology at UCC; Prof. Tom Gallagher, Consultant Surgeon at the National Surgical Centre for Pancreatic Cancer at St. Vincent’s University Hospital; and Prof. Gráinne O’Kane, Consultant Medical Oncologist at St. Vincent’s University Hospital.
Speaking ahead of the challenge, Niall Rochford said: "This walk is deeply personal to me, and I know Stella will be with me every step of the way. Pancreatic Cancer Ireland was founded because we need more awareness of this devastating disease and, crucially, we need a rapid diagnosis centre here in Ireland. This challenge is about raising funds to make those goals a reality. Every donation, no matter the size, makes a difference, but if you can’t donate, please help us by spreading the word. Ireland has an incredible spirit of community, and I’m looking forward to meeting people along my 250km journey. I know I’ll find strength in that support as I make this journey in Stella’s memory.”
To make a donation please visit: https://www.idonate.ie/event/Cork2Cong
For more information on pancreatic cancer and to view the Cork2Cong route, visit: www.pancreaticcancerireland.ie/cork2cong
