By John Harrington

A laudable initiative by Clare hurler Cian Galvin to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland is quickly gaining momentum.

Joint-captain of the St. Flannan’s College Harty Cup winning hurling team, Clarecastle club-man Galvin is encouraging people to donate €4 to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland by sharing a video of them passing a sliotar and then nominating others to do the same.

“This is a particularly challenging time for our nation and I hope everyone is following HSE guidelines with regard to social distancing and hygiene,” said Galvin in his own video which has quickly started a domino effect.

“I am raising money for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland who are a brilliant organisation who do lots of excellent work for the people who are particularly vulnerable during this period.”

Galvin’s initiative is an especially timely one because Cystic Fibrosis Ireland have had to cancel all future outdoor fundraising events due to Covid-19.

They have instead made their national flag day on Friday, April 10 a virtual one, and the plan is that a number of online activities will help raise much-needed funds and awareness.

Cian Galvin’s ‘pass the sliotar, not the virus’ initiative is one such challenge they hope can gather more and more momentum in the coming days and weeks.

A number of high-profile current and former inter-county hurlers have already gotten involved, and Cystic Fibrosis Ireland are encouraging GAA clubs up and down the country to also embrace the challenge.

Cystic Fibrosis is a multi-organ disease that primarily affects the lungs, so people with CF are particularly vulnerable to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ireland has the highest incidence of Cystic Fibrosis in the World – approximately 1 in 19 Irish people are said to ‘carry’ one copy of the altered gene that causes Cystic Fibrosis.

There has never been a greater need to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, and you can donate €4 by texting ‘Fight CF’ to 50300.

And if you have a hurley and sliotar in the house, why not also post your own ‘Pass the sliotar, not the virus’ video to social media.

For further information on Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, visit their website https://www.cfireland.ie/