Mayo's James McNeive Foundation raises €184,000 for children’s charities

The legacy of James McNeive lives on as Mayo Mindspace charity has named its family room the "James McNeive Foundation Room" in his honour at their facility in Castlebar.

The James McNeive Foundation, set up to honour his legacy, has announced that it has raised €184,000 through its 5 Peak Challenge, with substantial donations already being distributed to charities across Ireland that were close to James's heart.

James passed away suddenly in a road accident at the age of 28 last year. His loss sent shockwaves far beyond his hometown of Aughamore. The GAA player and primary school teacher left a huge impression on those who were fortunate enough to have known him — evidenced by the 6,000 people who attended his wake. 

Matthew McNeive, James's brother and one of the foundation's organisers, spoke to The Mayo News about the achievement and the meaningful impact the donations will have in honouring his brother's legacy.

One charity to benefit is Mayo Mindspace, which has received €20,000 from the foundation. The charity was chosen because, as a primary school teacher, James was passionate about young people's mental health and embodied positivity throughout his life.

"James's whole personality was centred around happiness and positivity, and Mayo Mindspace hopes to bring that into the lives of young people through their work, counselling, and therapeutic facilities," Matthew said.

The Daisy Lodge, which provides respite for children with cancer and their families, will receive €50,000. The donation will go directly toward the Mayo facility in Cong, ensuring the funds support the local service. 

The Irish Kidney Association will receive €45,000, a charity with deep personal significance to the McNeive family. Matthew, who is a dialysis patient awaiting a second kidney transplant, explained that the donation will support the IKA house, in the grounds of Beaumont Hospital.

"The Irish Kidney Association house provides free accommodation for families while their children undergo transplants," Matthew explained. "It was an absolute lifesaver for my mom during my transplant."

In a poignant detail, Matthew revealed that James had been in the process of being tested as a potential kidney donor before his passing.

The foundation will make an announcement in the next few weeks about two other charities to which it will make significant donations. Additionally, several schools where James worked will receive donations for specific projects, including buddy benches.

The team behind the foundation

The foundation is run by family members, including Matthew, his brother Michael, cousins Enda and Jack Sweeney, first cousin Ross Egan, mother Bernadette, aunt Trish Egan, cousin Lorna Egan, and first cousin John McNeive.

Matthew wants to give special recognition to Marina Carney, his brother Michael's girlfriend, for her work on social media and documentation throughout the fundraising campaign. "She literally headlined the campaign through her videos and posts, and that's what gave us our national reach and a lot of the donations," he said.

"A lot of people were aware of us because they saw her work. During the 5Peak challenge, each day she'd climb the mountain, come down the mountain before going to the camper van and making videos to post, keeping everyone updated as to what we were doing. She was absolutely phenomenal.”

The foundation is already planning next year's challenge, though details have not yet been finalised. Matthew reflected on the experience with gratitude: "To know that there's pieces of James’ name in Cong, in Mayo Mindspace in Castlebar, and hopefully on a plaque outside the IKA house in Dublin—it's really great to know that he's becoming ubiquitous both physically and mentally with the rest of us."