The Plunketts alongside the all important team of friends and neighbours who helped to organise and supported the hugely successful Mollie Plunkett Run.

Mollie Plunkett Run present NCBI with nearly €29k

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The family of a visually impaired Laragh toddler have thanked everyone who supported their Mollie Plunkett Run, a tractor run in aid of the National Council for the Blind (NCBI), writes Michael Keaveny.

The event, which was held earlier this year, saw nearly 300 vehicles take part and raised €28,820 for NCBI. The cheque was presented last Friday evening, December 2. Mollie (two) suffers from Optic Nerve Hypoplasia, a condition that affects the development of the optic nerves and severely impacts her ability to see.

“We had 187 tractors, 40 lorries, 40 cars, and 25 motorbikes take part,” said Mollie’s mother Fiona Clancy Plunkett. “There was so many we had to do two routes, with the tractors doing a back route around Laragh and the other vehicles doing a tour from Laragh, through Cavan Town, Cootehill and Canningstown. It was outstanding to see so many people come out to support our event. I’m from Manorhamilton in Leitrim and my husband Seamus is from Laragh. The amount of support that we got from both places was just unbelievable. We couldn’t have asked for more. It’s just brilliant.”

Fiona said a lot of work went in to organising the fundraiser.

“There was a lot of work to be done like getting posters, vetting, information from gardaí and more. Things like this don’t happen overnight.”

Fiona Clancy Plunkett, Seamus Plunkett and Mollie Plunkett present the Mollie Plunkett run cheque to NCBI community resource worker Caimin Fox.
The Plunketts alongside the all important team of friends and neighbours who helped to organise and supported the hugely successful Mollie Plunkett Run.

Mollie’s parents first noticed a problem with her eyesight when she was a very small baby.

“When Mollie was about two and a half months, her left eye was a bit cross-eyed or turned in,” recalled Fiona.

In December 2020, Mollie attended an ophthalmologist who said her optic nerve wasn’t developed properly. She was given a 50% chance of it developing. “When she was six months old, we were told she had the sight of a six week old, which is very poor,” she said.

In recent months doctors said Mollie had gained some sight, but it was difficult to tell how much.

“In October, this year we had her back in Temple Street. We were told she has sight, they couldn’t tell us what percentage of sight she has, because, she’s not able to tell us. A child’s site is not fully developed until they’re eight years of age,” Fiona explained.

But the Plunketts remain hopeful for the future.

The funds raised through the Mollie Plunkett Run will contribute to NCBI’s ability to provide vital services to Mollie and other children and adults around Ireland who are blind or vision impaired.

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