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Paddy Tierney

President-elect Jarlath Burns among Ulster GAA stars set for charity skydive

The GAA’s president-elect Jarlath Burns is one of one GAA personalities to take part in a charity skydive this weekend.

One person representing each Ulster county has signed up for the daring 15,000 ft leap on Sunday, March 12 to raise money for the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research at Queen’s University Belfast and the Air Ambulance NI service.

Burns will be joined by Jane Adams (Antrim), Larry Reilly (Cavan), Aoife Ní Chaiside (Derry), Maxi Curran (Donegal), Benny Coulter (Down), Marty McGrath (Fermanagh), Dessie Mone (Monaghan) and Gemma Begley (Tyrone).

Read more: Seanie Johnston admits Kildare transfer was a mistake and reveals the torment of having to face his native Cavan

Former Antrim camogie star Jane Adams said she is happy to support the fundraising efforts, as long as it didn’t involve singing or dancing.

“I've done a skydive before in Australia about five years ago,” stated Adams.

“When I was asked to do a charity thing, I said ‘it depends what it is?’ If it is dancing, there’s no chance. Singing? No chance. A skydive. . . I’ll take it.

“We were joking that I’d have to go first, but I want to keep an eye on Jarlath (Burns) to see how he copes with it!”

Derry and Slaughtneil camogie star Aoife Ní Chaiside is also doing her second skydive and says she wasn’t going to pass up on the opportunity considering how much she enjoyed her first experience.

“It is a great opportunity - I’ve done one skydive before in New Zealand and loved it,” said Ní Chaiside

“It was crazy. You get your kit on and your safety talk and meet your instructor.

“On the way up, you are squeezed onto the plane. I was the last one to be pushed out the last day, it was wild exciting watching everyone else. I loved it -the experience was unbelievable.”

Over 4,500 men in Ireland are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. The prostate cancer research team at Queen’s University Belfast, based at the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, is focused on improving treatments for those patients with the most serious types of prostate cancer.

The team, led by Prof Joe O’Sullivan, Prof Suneil Jain and oncologist Dr Aidan Cole is dedicated to ensuring that its patients and their families have the best treatments at the correct time and that survival rates continue to improve for men diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Air Ambulance NI work in partnership with the NI Ambulance Service (NIAS), to provide the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) for the region. Serious or life-threatening situations can happen to anyone at any time and on average, every single day, two individuals find themselves in critical need of the service.

To support your county’s skydiver and donate to these two worthwhile charitable causes, click here.

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