The ‘bittersweet’ success of Enda’s memorial foundation

THE Enda Dolan Foundation started as a simple New Year’s challenge to take part in the Omagh Half Marathon, but it has since grown into something much larger, helping hundreds of people every year improve their health and fitness through the hugely-popular ‘Run for Enda’ programme.

At the start of 2015, just a few months after Enda’s tragic death, Peter, Niamh, and a number of their neighbours decided to do something in his memory. While there was never a grand plan in place, the couple have taken great pride in the success of Run for Enda, although it remains a deeply-emotional experience.

“It’s bittersweet,” says Niamh. “That’s definitely the best way to put it,” Peter adds.

“When you’re out and see people wearing the Run for Enda tops, with his logo on, it’s a great feeling.

“But we would swap it all in a heartbeat to have Enda back.

“That’s the hand we’ve been dealt, and we just have to make the most of it.”

The growth of Run for Enda has been extraordinary; it’s a legacy that the couple never set out to create.

Niamh notes how many lives have changed because of the programme, and she has a particular fondness for the ‘Red Balloon Guitar Workshop’ for young people, which ran from 2015 until the pandemic.

“If I’m in a local shop and see people wearing the Run For Enda t-shirt, they often don’t know I’m his mum,” Niamh explains.

“Sometimes, when I see the crowds at Youth Sport Omagh, it’s emotional.

“I wonder if people realise why they’re there.”

She adds that while Enda was closely-associated with the running events, his real passion was music.

“After Run for Enda began, we started the Red Balloon Guitar Workshop because Enda loved playing the guitar.

“It ran successfully for five years and was a great success.”