A young Dubliner was praised highly yesterday for pursuing "with incredible energy and determination" an idea which raised €80,002 in seven months for two Irish charities.
Saying he was delighted to support the campaign, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin emphasised that "the idea and the driving force of this initiative, however, was Daniel Philbin Bowman."
"He has shown what a short, effective, focused charity-drive can do. He and his friends are a clear witness that 'the young people', whom we older people so often tend to doubt, can really put all of us to shame," the Archbishop said.
Last April while at home sick from school Daniel saw Pope John Paul's funeral and had the idea of raising money for charity by selling wristbands with the late pope's phrase "Be Not Afraid" phrase written on them. He approached the archbishop for backing. About 50,000 of the wristbands sold, at €2 each, in the first six weeks.
Cheques for €40,000 each were presented to David Andrews of Irish Red Cross and Prof Kevin Malone of Turning the Tide Suicide group at Archbishop's House yesterday.