Footballer with MS urges people to support readathon

Meath footballer Cillian O’Sullivan has urged people to embrace the “superpower” of reading as he backed a major fundraiser for MS Ireland.

The Royals forward has been living with multiple sclerosis, which he said came as a “bolt out of the blue” in late 2023.

O’Sullivan said acknowledging his emotions through therapy has helped him to manage the neurological condition.

The clinical psychologist, who lives in Dublin with wife Caoimhe, is now encouraging the nation to sign up to this year’s MS Readathon, describing it as a way to unlock learning and raise vital funds for MS services.

One of Ireland’s longest-running charity events, it has inspired a love of reading among young people across the country for the past 39 years.

“MS is one of the most common neurological conditions in the country. I would be upfront about it, sharing my diagnosis with close friends and family,” said O’Sullivan, 31.

“I would have been in therapy before I had the diagnosis, so I knew the benefit of going back and talking about the feelings; the anxiety, the fear and the shame, and working through those rather than locking them in a room.”

As a child attending Gaelscoil na Rithe in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, he said taking part in the MS Readathon transported him to a world of wonder and learning.

“In a way your ability to read and to discern is a superpower,” said the inter-county star.

After registering at msreadathon.ie, participants are encouraged to read as many books as possible between November 1 and December 15, while seeking sponsorship from family and friends.

These funds help support more than 11,000 people living with MS and their families, according to Multiple Sclerosis Society chief executive Ava Battles.

“We are looking for schools