On a sunny day in March 2026, walkers were making their way along the Tralee to Fenit Greenway, a trail that connects two villages in County Kerry, Ireland. The air was fresh, the sun was out, rare for Ireland, and everyone was there for the same reason: to honor James O’Carroll, who had passed from pancreatic cancer the previous November.
What started as a small idea to remember him had grown into something much bigger, with friends, family, and classmates all coming together to walk, talk, and support a cause that had become deeply personal for his daughter, Saoirse.
From College Life to Sudden Loss
Saoirse O’Carroll was in the thick of her third year at college in her hometown of Tralee, Ireland, when her life changed in a way she could never have imagined. Between lectures, placements, and her walking group, a small but close-knit circle of classmates who met regularly to stay active, she was trying to keep busy, balancing a pivotal time in her life while figuring out her future and her career.
It was during this hectic time that her world shifted. Her father, James O’Carroll, had been experiencing pain on his right side for nearly a year. At first, it was dismissed as kidney stones or a hernia, something minor that could be managed. Painkillers helped for a while, but as the discomfort worsened, he finally went in for a CT scan on October 14th.
Saoirse remembers sitting in the college library with a friend when her sister called. The words sank in slowly: her father had pancreatic cancer. “I went to see my mom and dad after that, and it didn’t really register at first,” she recalls. “I was just thinking, what’s the next step? How do we handle this? Everything will be okay.”
For the O’Carroll family, the diagnosis was shocking. James had always looked after his health, never missing appointments or scans. “It was so out of the blue,” Saoirse says. The cancer had started in his pancreas but had already spread to his liver and stomach by the time it was detected.
He was referred to oncologists in Cork and was initially slated for chemotherapy, but he couldn’t go through with it. Instead, pain management became the focus, including a morphine pump that “gave him quality of life to be able to walk around and have his independence until the end.” Within a month of the diagnosis, he passed away: a sudden loss that left Saoirse and her family reeling.
Amid the grief, an idea began to take shape. When one of her lecturers returned to college, having been away when her dad passed, Saoirse had to share the heartbreaking news. That conversation sparked the idea of organizing a walk to fundraise and honor her father through her college walking group.
“We were thinking small the whole time, just a family thing,” she says. “But once I started telling my friends and classmates about it, they immediately said, ‘We’d love to join.’ From there, it just kept growing: people were sharing it, spreading the word, and before we knew it, so many more people were involved.”
A Father’s Legacy and a Daughter’s Mission
When the shock of her father’s diagnosis settled in, Saoirse found herself surrounded by an unexpected wave of support. “I was doing my nursing placement at the time, and my friends were just so supportive every day,” she recalls. “They would ask, ‘How are you? How’s your dad?’ It was such a comfort, and it gave me the strength to keep going. I will always be so grateful for that.”
That support, both during his illness and after his passing, reflected the kind of man James O’Carroll was: quiet, humble, and incredibly kind. As a farmer, he lived a simple, hardworking life, tending to his land, but even more importantly, he was devoted to his family. “He was always connecting with us, whether we were away or just over the phone,” Saoirse says.
His heart, she explains, was his defining feature. “He was a very stereotypical farmer man, but he was also a very emotional man, in touch with his feelings,” she says. “That’s something unique about him that not everyone knew.”
As a dad, James was “strict, but fair.” Saoirse laughs, recalling their stubborn streaks: “I’m the youngest, so I could be a bit cheeky. Anytime I had to go down to the farm, I didn’t love it, but I would do it! We were very alike, very stubborn with each other, but at the end of the day, we would always meet up. He was always on our side, always there to support us no matter what. I miss the good times and even the fights.”
Through his diagnosis, James stayed remarkably positive. He didn’t dwell on what might come, choosing instead to cherish the moments he could spend with his family. He was able to take a pause from work, go on trips with his wife, and have family members come home so they could all be together. “That time was probably some of the most special we had with him,” Saoirse adds.
When the idea came up to do something with her walking group, Saoirse immediately began looking for ways to support pancreatic cancer research and raise awareness. Finding Irish organizations proved difficult, until she discovered Project Purple. As she read through their website and learned about their mission and goals, she felt an immediate connection. “This is definitely up my alley,” she thought, and from that moment, everything fell into place.
Lessons Along the Greenway
By the time March arrived, the walk had taken on a life of its own. The greenway, stretching 13.6 km from village to sea, provided the perfect backdrop: fresh air, winding paths, and the rare sunshine of an Irish day. On the day of the walk, roughly 60 people showed up—double the 30 they had expected.
“It was amazing to see everyone come together,” Saoirse says, watching friends, lecturers, family, family friends, and even people who had never met her dad but wanted to support the cause. Considering she had only advertised the event for two weeks, the turnout was especially incredible. “That’s why I think we didn’t expect such a reception, and to have so many people. It really blew me away.”
Walking alongside them, she felt the full force of the encouragement and care that had carried her through the months after her father’s diagnosis and passing. “It was so incredible. People you wouldn’t even think would be so supportive, and it really meant a lot. I think I’ll always remember that, and if anyone ever needed support, I’d be 100% there. It really opens your eyes and gives you a new perspective.”
That perspective on supporting others became even more meaningful through her studies in nursing, shaping how she approaches her future profession. “It gives me insight into the families who come in when I’m looking after a patient and helps me see things from their perspective,” she says. “Even just sitting down with someone, having a cup of tea, and letting them talk, or being there if they want to ask about my experience and what helped me cope, or even just offering a shoulder to cry on, has given me so much perspective and empathy.”
Not that she didn’t have empathy before, but this experience has made her more vulnerable and understanding toward someone facing a similar diagnosis and their families. “It really hits home for me,” she adds, and it’s something she will carry with her into her career.
It was also a learning experience in another way: discovering more about her dad through the process. With his diagnosis, passing, and the preparation for the walk, Saoirse got to see her dad’s family come together. Since they lived further up the country, they didn’t see each other often, but he had always kept in close touch over the phone.
“I got to see how close he was to his siblings, specifically his sisters. It was really nice to see how they dropped everything and came to support us as a family straight away,” Saoirse says. “Seeing that relationship, learning about his family dynamic growing up, and hearing stories about him, it was really lovely, and it was something we hadn’t really experienced before.”
Steps That Make a Difference
Connection is what the event was all about, and it was evident in every step along the greenway. For Saoirse, the walk became more than just a tribute to her father: it was a deeply personal way to process her grief and support a cause that had suddenly become central to her life.
“At the end of the day, my goal was to have a bit of closure and know I did something that could help,” she says. She reflects on her father’s battle with pancreatic cancer: her sister, a nurse, cared for him at home, her mom supported him tirelessly, and her brothers came home to help. Meanwhile, she was juggling college responsibilities. “I wanted to find a way to contribute uniquely, and this felt like my way to do it. I hope he’s looking down and proud.”
Her father had passed on November 15th, so the loss was still fresh. “That was part of why I wanted to stay busy and have a goal in mind,” she explains. Organizing the walk on such short notice made sense—she managed to get everything sorted and spread the word in just two weeks. And, in the process, it gave her focus and purpose, connected her to her dad, and kept her engaged during such a pivotal period of grief.
The walk also deepened Saoirse’s understanding of pancreatic cancer and its impact. She admits she hadn’t known much about the disease before her dad was diagnosed, but after doing her own research, she became more aware of how profoundly it affects families, as it did hers.
Having learned how aggressive pancreatic cancer is, she has always focused on the end goal: a cure. “While there will always be support and options along the way, at the end of the day, everyone just wants to be cured,” she says. “I want to make a difference, raise awareness, and support research.” Saoirse hopes her own learning about the disease can extend to others, and that’s exactly what Steps for a Cure was meant to accomplish.
Inspired by Saoirse’s dedication to honoring her father and raising awareness for pancreatic cancer? Contact us for information on how you can start your own walk, or visit our Events page to see what events are coming up near you!
