WATCH: Limerick All-Star hurler spreads Christmas joy at Children's Ark

ALL-STAR Limerick hurler Gearóid Hegarty gave some much needed Christmas cheer to youngsters at the Children’s Ark School in University Hospital Limerick (UHL).

The five-time All-Ireland winner was on hand to play the role of Father Christmas and ensure there were many happy faces at the facility, which helps young people up to the age of 16 with life-changing conditions.

He volunteered to do this after staff at communications firm eir from across the region donated toys which were then distributed in the Ark.

In Pictures: Limerick students celebrate graduation with family and friends

Betty Kilkenny, a divisional sales manager with the firm said once they found out the five-time All-Ireland senior hurling winner was set to distribute the gifts, it inspired a larger than normal contribution!

“A lot of my team are from Limerick. We’d support Limerick big time. To get Gearóid in was something else. We put out the word he was involved and we think that helped with the collection. Everyone is such a Limerick fan around here,” she laughed.

Staff of eir choose a different charity to donate toys to each year, and this time it was the turn of the Children’s Ark, which caters for the educational needs of children while they are in hospital.

One of the patients who was lucky enough to be given a present by St Patrick’s man Hegarty was 16-year-old Áine Ryan from Raheen.

She endured two years of gruelling radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment to remove a life-threatening brain tumour.
And following this, she was treated to a holiday of a lifetime to go to Harry Potter world in London.

So it was no surprise the Christmas gift she chose from Gearóid was a game featuring the boy wizard.

Below: eir staff Betty Kilkenny, Edward Daly, Pat Hogan, Ian Coveney with hurler Gearóid Hegarty in the Children's Ark

The star hurler also threw in a signed hurley to boot!

“It was a great surprise, a very happy surprise,” Áine said.

It was a busy day for the teenager, who had organised a Christmas fundraiser with her friends at Mungret Community College, where she is in Transition Year.

That was for another charity close to her heart, Barretstown which supports children living with serious illness alongside their families.