Donal Walsh Memorial Window

Donal Walsh

Mary J Leen speaks about her inspiration for this project

I think it is very important if you are working with the public that one gives back to society in some way. I have given my time and expertise to many projects but the most recent has been the Donal Walsh Live Life Foundation. I think the whole country has been moved by the remarkable words and actions of Donal. I was so inspired by this boy that I came up with the idea to create a stained glass memorial for Donal and his message of anti-suicide. I created a piece that I called ‘Petition for Living’. The memorial consisted of a portrait of Donal, his words and 50 hand painted signatures of famous and other people that supported his campaign of anti-suicide. Among the signatories are Brendan O’ Connor, Ronan O’ Gara, Paul O Connell and Bressie to mention but a few. The beautiful memorial hangs in the Christian Brothers Secondary School Tralee County Kerry and is a reminder to all the boys to value their precious gift of life and not to end it prematurely. I think that the anti-suicide campaign is so important today and that we really do have a duty to protect our young from this terrible trend of suicide.