Down Syndrome Centre Cork

17/08/2026

🇮🇪 A huge thank you to the Irish Defence Forces at Collins Barracks!

We were delighted to be at Cork City Hall today to receive a fantastic €1,000 donation from the Irish Defence Forces at Collins Barracks.

Members of the Defence Forces were out giving water to runners at this year’s Cork City Marathon, and we are so grateful that they chose Down Syndrome Centre Cork to receive their donation this year. ❤️

A very special mention to Jack’s parents, Claire and Declan, who are both members of the Defence Forces and who put our Centre forward. Thank you both for thinking of us and for always supporting the Centre. 💙

And a big thank you to Eamon Hayes, Cork City Marathon Coordinator, for having us at City Hall today and for all his support.

We had a lovely morning and are very grateful to everyone involved. Thank you so much for choosing us! 🥰

12/08/2026

🏆 A very proud moment for one of our own!

Huge congratulations to Philip Hayes, who recently received the Lord Mayor’s Prize 2026 at Cork City Hall from Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Damian Boylan.

And judging by this photo, we’re not sure who was more delighted! 😂🏆

Philip and his wife Danielle are parents to Corey and gorgeous twins Chloe and Sophia, who attend the Centre.

Philip took on the Cork City Marathon over the June Bank Holiday weekend and, together with his nephew Daniel, raised an incredible €6,000+ for Down Syndrome Centre Cork.

The Lord Mayor’s Prize recognised not only Philip’s marathon challenge, but the commitment, positivity and perseverance he shows every day as a dad!

A massive thank you too to all of our runners and fundraisers who took part in the Cork City Marathon for us this year. We’re so grateful to everyone who ran, fundraised, donated and cheered them on. ❤️

For a small, parent-led charity, the support we continue to receive is just incredible.

Well done Philip, we’re absolutely delighted for you! 🏆👏

17/07/2026

Celebrating an incredible €27,068 raised at our Cork Racecourse Mallow Family Race Day! 🏇💙

Last Friday evening, we were delighted to attend the cheque presentation following our fantastic Family Race Day at Cork Racecourse Mallow back in April. Thanks to the incredible generosity of everyone involved, an amazing €27,068 was raised for the Down Syndrome Centre Cork.

We are incredibly grateful to our main event sponsors, Red PR, especially Carey Ann, and to Tom Gaffney, Eoghan O’Grady and the entire team at Cork Racecourse Mallow. Their generosity, belief in our work and unwavering support made this event possible. Quite simply, we couldn’t have done it without them.

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Tom and Susan Magner for their generosity.

A very special thank you to Trish and Dan for their incredible support and generosity. We’d also like to recognise their son, Danny, who attends the Down Syndrome Centre Cork and whose love of horse racing inspired this wonderful event. Seeing that inspiration come to life made the day even more meaningful.

A huge thank you also goes to our fantastic raffle sponsors, whose generosity helped make the event such a success: Coolmore, W.P. Mullins, Cork Racecourse Mallow, SSS Super Alloys, Healy Racing, Dairygold, Tarrants Škoda Banteer, FBD Hotels & Resorts, Dermot Casey Hire, FBD Insurance and SouthEast Tools.

To all of our wonderful families who supported the event, especially Niamh and Con, and to everyone who braved the weather to join us on the day, thank you. Your support and community spirit mean so much to us.

The day was filled with smiles, laughter and unforgettable memories, from the petting zoo and meeting the jockeys to live music, family entertainment and the Down Syndrome Centre Cork Race, run in our honour. It truly was a wonderful celebration for our families, friends and supporters.

Every euro raised will help us continue providing life-changing therapies, programmes and supports to children and young people with Down syndrome and their families across Cork.

From everyone at the Down Syndrome Centre Cork, thank you to every sponsor, volunteer, supporter and attendee who helped make this incredible day possible!

16/07/2026

🏐 WIN 2 ALL IRELAND FOOTBALL FINAL TICKETS + HOTEL STAY! 🏨💚

The Down Syndrome Centre Cork is delighted to support this fantastic fundraiser organised by Ellen Cronin in aid of our centre.

🎉 Prize Includes:
🏆 2 x All Ireland Football Final Tickets (Kerry v Mayo)
🛏️ 1 night’s stay at the Moxy Dublin Docklands on Saturday 25th July

A huge thank you to Myles Cronin for generously donating this incredible prize.

Every ticket purchased helps us continue providing vital therapies, programmes and supports for children and young people with Down syndrome and their families.

🎟 Ticket Prices:
• 1 Ticket – €10
• 3 Tickets – €15
• 7 Tickets – €20

⏰ Draw: Thursday 23rd July at 4:00pm

👉 Buy your tickets here:
https://www.idonate.ie/raffle/ellencroninkerrygaafinal

Please like, share and tag your GAA-loving friends. Every share helps us reach more people and raise more funds for the children and families we support.

Thank you for your continued support.

Moxy Dublin City

14/07/2026

Have you listened yet? 🎙️

Our Clinic Services Manager, Megan Sarl, recently spoke with On The Level about the work of The Down Syndrome Centre Cork, the services we provide, and the difference they make to children and families across Cork.

As a completely independent charity, we receive no government funding, so every donation, fundraiser and act of support helps us continue providing vital therapies and programmes.

A big thank you to On The Level for the opportunity to share our story.

🎧 Listen here: https://on.soundcloud.com/xkkGMVwdJzIBf5x7Sj

14/07/2026

We were delighted to receive an incredible €3,000 donation from Broadcom following their participation in our Challenge 21 fundraiser.

Linda was delighted to visit the Broadcom team last week to accept the cheque on behalf of the Down Syndrome Centre Cork and to thank everyone for their fantastic support.

A special thank you to the Broadcom Challenge 21 team: Brian Murphy, Ciara Conlon, Danka Obrenovic, Mark O’Neill, Paudie O’Riordan, Shane Prendergast, Teddy Hornibrook, Tomas Drzewiecki and Trevor Kavanagh. Your commitment, fundraising efforts and generosity have made a real difference!!

This amazing contribution will help us continue providing vital therapies, programmes and supports to children with Down syndrome and their families across Cork.

Thank you to everyone at Broadcom for choosing to support the Down Syndrome Centre Cork. Partnerships like yours have a lasting impact, and we are truly grateful for your generosity.

09/07/2026

We were delighted to meet and thank Tony Wilson of All Plast Engineering for his incredible support recently.

Tony supported our recent fundraising event at Cork Racecourse Mallow on 4 April by placing the winning bid in our charity auction for a truly special piece of racing memorabilia.

Kindly donated by Healy Racing, the framed print celebrated Willie Mullins’ Cheltenham 2026 winning trio and was signed by Champion Trainer Willie Mullins and five-time Gold Cup-winning jockey Paul Townend, making it a priceless collector’s item.

Tony’s generous winning bid of €2,200 will go directly towards supporting the work of The Down Syndrome Centre Cork and the children and families we support.

Thank you, Tony, for your kindness, generosity and support. We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Liam and everyone at Healy Racing for donating such an incredible auction prize.

Support like this not only raises vital funds, but also helps us continue providing early intervention services for children with Down syndrome and their families across Cork.

Pictured are Tony Wilson of All Plast Engineering accepting the framed print, together with DSCC Chairperson Cathy Halpin and her son Finn, and proud parent Con McSweeney with his daughters Kate and Sophie.

03/07/2026

❤️❤️❤️

Because the truth is... we’re not discovering new abilities.
We’re finally removing old barriers.
And we’re not done yet.

Let’s be clear about something.
People with Down syndrome are doing things today that the world used to say were impossible. Graduating. Working. Getting married. Living independently. Advocating for themselves.

And here’s the truth that doesn’t get said enough:
The chromosome didn’t change.
The belief did.

For decades, expectations were set low and then used as proof that low expectations were “accurate.” That wasn’t science. That was bias.

Now that people with Down syndrome are being given access, support and opportunity, we’re seeing what was always possible.
But don’t get comfortable.
Because while the world celebrates these “firsts,” too many kids are still being underestimated every single day, especially in education.
Still being placed on alternate curriculums without real consideration.
Still being denied grade-level content.
Still being “included” in name only.
Still being told “this is all they can do.”
No. It’s not.

If a student isn’t progressing, we need to look at the supports, not lower the expectations.
We don’t need more inspirational headlines.
We need systemic change.
We need schools that presume competence.
We need IEPs that actually provide access.
We need teams that stop deciding limits before a child even has a chance.

REMEMBER:
These aren’t breakthroughs in ability.
They’re breakthroughs in opportunity.
And there’s still a long way to go.