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See photos as Kerry school holds ‘Run4Ryan’ to remember much-missed student who passed away

Sarah Garcia Leen, Aisling Kenny, Katie Hussey and Jamie Lee Donegan at the Run4Ryan memorial 5k run at Causeway Comprehensive School on Tuesday in memory of Ryan Gaynor who sadly passed away in 2023. Photo by Mark O’Sullivan.

Amy O’Carroll, Molly Donegan, Eva Kelly and Megan O’Leary at the Run4Ryan memorial 5k run at Causeway Comprehensive School on Tuesday in memory of Ryan Gaynor who sadly passed away in 2023. Photo by Mark O’Sullivan.

Jack O’Hallaran, Calum Hussey and Max Fitzgerald at the Run4Ryan memorial 5k run at Causeway Comprehensive School on Tuesday in memory of Ryan Gaynor who sadly passed away in 2023. Photo by Mark O’Sullivan.

Chloe O’Sullivan, Charlotte O’Connor, Mia Brosnan, Molly Nolan, Abbie Boyle and Ms Dowling at the Run4Ryan memorial 5k run at Causeway Comprehensive School on Tuesday in memory of Ryan Gaynor who sadly passed away in 2023. Photo by Mark O’Sullivan.

Shannon Droey, Avi O’Connor and Taylor Dowling at the Run4Ryan memorial 5k run at Causeway Comprehensive School on Tuesday in memory of Ryan Gaynor who sadly passed away in 2023. Photo by Mark O’Sullivan.

The Run4Ryan memorial 5k run at Causeway Comprehensive took place this past Tuesday in memory of Ryan Gaynor who sadly passed away in 2023. Photo by Mark O’Sullivan.

AJ Gorman, Eamon Kirby, Noah O’Sullivan, Daith Nolan, John Harty, Brendan Duggan, Jack Faye, Cameron Godley, Jadine Duma and Edward Miller at the Run4Ryan memorial 5k run at Causeway Comprehensive School on Tuesday in memory of Ryan Gaynor who sadly passed away in 2023. Photo by Mark O’Sullivan.

The Run4Ryan memorial 5k run at Causeway Comprehensive took place this past Tuesday in memory of Ryan Gaynor who sadly passed away in 2023. Photo by Mark O’Sullivan.

The Run4Ryan memorial 5k run at Causeway Comprehensive took place this past Tuesday in memory of Ryan Gaynor who sadly passed away in 2023. Photo by Mark O’Sullivan.

The late Ryan Gaynor.

thumbnail: Sarah Garcia Leen, Aisling Kenny, Katie Hussey and Jamie Lee Donegan at the Run4Ryan memorial 5k run at Causeway Comprehensive School on Tuesday in memory of Ryan Gaynor who sadly passed away in 2023. Photo by Mark O’Sullivan.
thumbnail: Amy O’Carroll, Molly Donegan, Eva Kelly and Megan O’Leary at the Run4Ryan memorial 5k run at Causeway Comprehensive School on Tuesday in memory of Ryan Gaynor who sadly passed away in 2023. Photo by Mark O’Sullivan.
thumbnail: Jack O’Hallaran, Calum Hussey and Max Fitzgerald at the Run4Ryan memorial 5k run at Causeway Comprehensive School on Tuesday in memory of Ryan Gaynor who sadly passed away in 2023. Photo by Mark O’Sullivan.
thumbnail: Chloe O’Sullivan, Charlotte O’Connor, Mia Brosnan, Molly Nolan, Abbie Boyle and Ms Dowling at the Run4Ryan memorial 5k run at Causeway Comprehensive School on Tuesday in memory of Ryan Gaynor who sadly passed away in 2023. Photo by Mark O’Sullivan.
thumbnail: Shannon Droey, Avi O’Connor and Taylor Dowling at the Run4Ryan memorial 5k run at Causeway Comprehensive School on Tuesday in memory of Ryan Gaynor who sadly passed away in 2023. Photo by Mark O’Sullivan.
thumbnail: The Run4Ryan memorial 5k run at Causeway Comprehensive took place this past Tuesday in memory of Ryan Gaynor who sadly passed away in 2023. Photo by Mark O’Sullivan.
thumbnail: AJ Gorman, Eamon Kirby, Noah O’Sullivan, Daith Nolan, John Harty, Brendan Duggan, Jack Faye, Cameron Godley, Jadine Duma and Edward Miller at the Run4Ryan memorial 5k run at Causeway Comprehensive School on Tuesday in memory of Ryan Gaynor who sadly passed away in 2023. Photo by Mark O’Sullivan.
thumbnail: The Run4Ryan memorial 5k run at Causeway Comprehensive took place this past Tuesday in memory of Ryan Gaynor who sadly passed away in 2023. Photo by Mark O’Sullivan.
thumbnail: The Run4Ryan memorial 5k run at Causeway Comprehensive took place this past Tuesday in memory of Ryan Gaynor who sadly passed away in 2023. Photo by Mark O’Sullivan.
thumbnail: The late Ryan Gaynor.
Fergus Dennehy
© Kerryman

The memory of the late Ryan Gaynor, a second year student in Causeway Comprehensive who passed away in December of last year, was remembered at an event held by the school in his honour last week.

It was just before the school broke for the Christmas holidays last year that the news broke of Ryan’s sudden passing and even now, almost five months on, his loss is still keenly felt in the school community, teacher Ruta Kanisauskaite told The Kerryman this week.

It was this continuing sense of loss that inspired the school’s chaplain, Paul Montgomery, to start planning what would eventually become the ‘Run4Ryan’ event, which took place on April 23.

The day involved a 5km run followed by a bake sale as well as a moment of silence to remember and pray for Ryan. Students also wore clothes in Ryan's favourite colour of blue; all proceeds from the day – which totalled €2,760 – were donated to the event’s chosen Family Resource Centre in Ballyheigue.

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“Now felt like the right time because it always felt too early to do something before this. They [the pupils] really miss him. The first weeks after it happened were absolutely horrendous. I'd even say that the first few months too. I mean, it still is there in them. It's something that's going to be with them forever. They are forever going to be reminded of it,” said Ruta.

The late Ryan Gaynor.

"They did tell me that it [the run] was a beautiful way to commemorate the type of person that Ryan was because he would have been the type of person that would have wanted a day out like that. He was very active, chatty, always wanting to be out and about,” she continued, adding that the day was “a celebration of Ryan and his life.”

After a moment of silence during a ceremony on the day, Ruta said that some of the students took it upon themselves to sing some of Ryan’s favourite songs.

Also, lending his support to the day was former student of the school, Paul Galvin, who donated two Kerry jerseys to the event for a fundraising raffle.

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