Fairyhouse walk in memory of young Ratoath woman who suffered sudden adult death

The heartbroken family of a young Ratoath woman who died suddenly last year will hold a fundraising walk in her memory at Fairyhouse on Saturday, 2nd July next.

Catherine Keane was young and fit, but passed away from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome on 1st July last year, to the devastation of her family and friends.

The popular, kind and witty young woman was just 31 when she passed away in her sleep.

Now her mother Margherita is organising a fund-raising walk for CRY (cardiac risk in the young), with jockey Barry Geraghty among those walking in the 5km event.

“Catherine looked after herself, she walked 10,000 steps a day and attended the gym,” says Margherita.

“She was beautiful, smart, very witty and great fun. She worked hard as a client director at Zenith Core and loved her job, her colleagues and her friends and her family.

“We were very close”.

Margherita adds: “On Thursday 1st July last year, Catherine was tragically taken too soon. We had no warning, all her hopes, plans, dreams were all taken from her, and us, her family. She died from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome.”

Catherine shared an apartment with friends in Rathmines.

“I spoke to her on the Wednesday night. She had been out with her boyfriend, who had walked her home and when he went home, she rang me at 11.40pm before she went to bed.”

Margherita recalls cutting the grass outside the front of her home in Mooretown, Ratoath when a car pulled into the driveway at around 4.40pm the following day.

“When I saw a garda getting out of the car, I knew something was wrong.”

She recalls when she heard the news she didn't want to go inside and sit down, because that would make it real.

"The gardai were wonderful. I rang my neighbour with my fingers shaking and they arrived. We got wonderful support from our neighbours.

“We were told she died in her sleep, just didn't wake up.”

Margherita recalls the beautiful ceremony they held for her.

“We brought her home and had a celebration of her life. There were still Covid restrictions in place but her friends, work colleagues and neighbours gathered in the garden and my brother-in-law Dermot hosted the ceremony. Her sister Naoise sang.”

Afterwards, the family brought her to Margherita's parents grave in Ballinasloe.

“After that, we just had to cope without her in our everyday lives.

“I wake up in the morning and try to plan something to try and get through the day and try to see some good in the day. Grief comes in waves. One minute you can be fine and the next thing the loss overwhelms you.

“Catherine walked 10,000 steps a day, going for a walk in the morning or at lunchtime. She used to ring me when she was out for a walk.

“She worked for Zenith and had an active busy life with lots of friends and she was at the centre of organising nights out and weekends away.

A past pupil of Ashbourne Community School, Catherine studied business in GMIT and did a masters in the Smurfit Business School.

She has a team working with her at Zenith and every year they have an award ceremony and one of the awards is for someone who brings people together.

“Catherine received that award after her death and from now on it is going to be called the Catherine Keane Togetherness Award.”

Margherita and her husband, Fergal have two other children Sean and Naoise and they realised they would have to have them screened for cardiac risk.

“Until this happened Catherine, we had never heard of the charity CRY, our GP didn't know about them. “We googled for family cardiac screening and found them. To say the charity is amazing, is an understatement.

“It is a registered charity based in Tallaght , it provides free cardiac screening to families who have lost a loved one to Sudden Adult Death.

“They provide counselling and support to parents, siblings, extended family.

“They also support people with newly diagnosed chronic heart conditions.”

“We want to raise fund for CRY. Barry Geraghty and his wife Paula have been very supportive of us and Peter Roe of Fairyhouse Racecourse has been wonderful. There will be a raffle on the day and lots of people have been coming forward with sponsorship,” she says.

“Catherine's death was so sudden and shocking, it was all a blur. This is giving us something to focus on and we will come together to remember Catherine.

Participants can register on Eventbrite or just go along to Fairyhouse Racecourse for the walk which is at 2pm on 2nd July.

The entry fee is €15 with children under 12 free.

“The purpose of the walk is to come together to remember Catherine but in doing so, raise much needed funds for CRY.”