peter
Humans of Dublin is renowned for sharing unknown stories and tales from all kinds of Dubliners.
The HOD Facebook page, which was created by photographer Peter Varga, is a collection of short quotes from strangers on the streets of the city.
The latest story shared on the page will most certainly melt your heart. It features Johnny and his wife Gertie, two long-time volunteers with Pieta House and founders of the ‘Darkness Into Light’ walk.
The post has over 6,300 likes and has been shared over 800 times.
“I used to cycle down to my cousin’s almost every day after school, and one of those days I was pedalling down on an old sand path in the dark, head in the clouds when I suddenly saw three people in front of me. I didn’t get the time to use the brakes, so I knocked one of them down. At the time I didn’t know I’d spend the rest of my life with that person.
We had twelve children and lost two of them. We lost one to cancer and the other to suicide. Only a year and a half apart. It was the most devastating time in our life, but we supported each other the whole way through. A new light came into our lives when we heard of Pieta House. We thought, okay, they’re doing an important job, so we wanted to help.
I’ve been coaching athletics forever, so I thought it would be great to organise a fundraising walk or run. It wasn’t easy, but we really enjoyed doing it. After seeing over five hundred people show up, we thought it was a remarkable success. Nine years on, organising Darkness Into Light is down to a fine art. It’s now done in over 150 venues all over the world. I never thought that one day I’d be standing in Phoenix Park looking at thousands of people, knowing that each and every one of them has something in common.
It’s a wonderful feeling and it helped us deal with the loss of our sons a bit better. None of this would’ve been possible without my wife’s support. I’ve achieved a lot in my life, but if you ask me, I’d say knocking her down that night was the greatest achievement I ever made.”
The yearly Darkness into Light walk takes place this weekend, with a record number of people expected to take part.
The main Dublin walks in Phoenix Park, Malahide and Marlay Park are already full to capacity. According to the Darkness Into Light website, walks in Ringsend, Skerries and near Tallaght still have room.
Read the original article on Dublin’s 98FM
Was also covered by Independent.ie, Daily Edge and College Times