The actor flew Tipperary girl Cara Darmody (14) to Chicago after asking her to be a keynote speaker at an event organised by the Colin Farrell Foundation.
Colin Farrell with Cara Darmody
A teenage disability rights campaigner has thanked Colin Farrell after he invited her to tell her story and share her mission at a charity event in the States.
The actor flew Tipperary girl Cara Darmody (14) to Chicago after asking her to be a keynote speaker at an event organised by the Colin Farrell Foundation, which aims to transform the lives of those with intellectual disability through education, awareness, advocacy, and innovative programs.
Cara, from Ardfinnan, is the older sister of Neil and John, who are both autistic and non-verbal.
She has spent years campaigning for her brothers and other disabled people, meeting with the last three taoisigh as she called for better access to vital services.
In an Instagram post, Cara said Colin is “an amazing guy” as she told her followers about her big speech at his charity event.
She said: “COLIN FARRELL! I’m officially in dreamland!! I’ve just come off the stage in Chicago as Colin Farrell’s keynote speaker at The Colin Farrell Foundation’s inaugural winter gala & fundraiser for people with intellectual disabilities!!!!
“Of all the people he could have chosen in the world, l can’t believe that he brought me here for this astonishing honour!!! Tonight, l really feel like 2024’s version of Cinderella!!!
“Getting to know him over the last few months has been the greatest honour of my life as he’s such an amazing guy!!! I’ve some incredible stories to tell over the coming days of this amazing experience!!! Sometimes dreams really do come true!!!”
During the address, the teenager shared her family’s struggle to secure support for her brothers.
“Right now in Ireland, it can take four to five years to be assessed with an intellectual disability, with little or no services on offer afterwards, even in our schools,” she said.
“That delay causes permanent damage and once you turn 18 with an intellectual disability, you often have nowhere to go, again with no services on offer.
“Ireland is in crisis in relation to disability services for people with intellectual disabilities. I have openly said that it’s a national disgrace, but more recently I’ve described it as an international embarrassment, and nobody ever disagrees with me.
“My understanding is that the same lack of services is also here in America for over-18s. It is simply not good enough and it must be respectfully called out.”
