Families raise £4k in memory of two Carlingford death friends

Families raise £4k in memory of two Carlingford death friends

5 February 2020

THE families of the two young Byransford men who died in a road crash in Carlingford last St Patrick’s Day have raised over £4,000 for charity in their memory.

Marty Patterson (20) and his best friend Shane McAnallen (25) were killed when their car went off the road near Carlingford in the early hours of March 18 last year.

The two friends lived close to one another and shared a mutual passion for cars.

Along with their parents and families, over 50 friends and colleagues got together to organise a sponsored climb up Slieve Donard on June 22 last year to mark what would have been Shane’s 26th birthday.

The families raised £4,154 for the Northern Ireland based Christian charity Exodus Trust.

Marty’s father Colin explained that he and his wife only found out just how committed their son was to the charity in the days after his death.

Mr Patterson said: “We learnt so much about Marty’s charity work after he died and realised he had a strong Christian faith.

“He got involved with the charity through the local baptist church and the charity was very close to Marty’s heart. They do amazing work giving hundreds of young people the opportunity to serve disadvantaged communities across the globe but also helping support our youth at home. Marty had been involved with them for several years and twice previously worked in Romania and Transylvania.”

He joined Exodus South Down and Louth and in July, 2017 was on a team which travelled to Transylvania and worked alongside a local church in the village of Lupoaia and the surrounding area to reach out to the Roma community there.

Mr Patterson said that the families hope to make the sponsored walk an annual event.

He added: “We would like to say thanks so much to everyone who walked with us both up the mountain and been by our side over the past 10 months. 

“A special thanks for the generous funeral donations and to NI Car Scene that Shane and Marty were part of and to all their friends for their donations over the past few months.

“Thanks also to the Capri Club NI for its kind donations, to those at Niki’s Kitchen Cafe who provided refreshments for the walkers, to Martin McClean who ensured everyone got down safely and to everyone for making the huge effort on the day.”

On the first anniversary of the friends’ death on St Patrick’s Day next month, the Pattersons and McAnallens, family and friends are planning another sponsored walk from the spot where they fatally crashed in Carlingford to Bryansford as a symbolic way to complete their boy’s journey home.

The families aim to donated all proceeds in aid of The Friends of the Cancer Centre in Belfast.