A young Kerry man is running 32 marathons over 32 days across 32 counties for the 15,000 people in Ireland who have no place to call home, saying that homelessness isn’t a distant problem, but is something which is “happening on our doorsteps.”
Brendán O’Neill, from Ballydonoghue in Co Kerry, is currently running one marathon every day for 32 days, which has been deemed “Brendan’s Run 32” in each county of Ireland to raise money and awareness for Focus Ireland.
Each day, he posts an update for those following along, with a quote of the day, a thought of the day, and a song of the day. As part of the challenge, Brendán is also spending each night homeless.
“Homelessness in Ireland has reached crisis levels. Children growing up in emergency accommodation. Families living out of cars. Men and women sleeping rough in every town and city across the country,” the campaign reads.
“This isn’t distant. This isn’t rare. It’s happening on our doorsteps. Each day, this run will pass through a different county—one marathon at a time. Every step is for those who don’t have a finish line to run towards.”
“Each place has its own story, and I can’t wait to run through them all, finishing where it all began in Listowel on August 23rd,” the young runner said.
Brendán, who is in his twenties, completed day 22 in County Waterford on Wednesday as he crosses the halfway point of the extraordinary physical and mental challenge. It’s clear that what started off as an idea three years ago has become a personal as well as public journey, driven by determination and action.
“There’s suffering you can’t control and then there’s the kind you choose. I chose this. I chose to wake up every morning and put myself through another 42km. I chose to carry the pain in my legs, the burn in my lungs, the exhaustion that creeps in before I’ve even started.
“The thing about chosen suffering is it strips you down. It forces you to meet the version of yourself that’s left when everything comfortable is gone. And if you can look that version in the eye and keep moving, that’s where the real growth is,” he added.
“Waterford tested me today. But pain is temporary. The reason I’m doing this is not.”
Quoting Psalm 28:7, Brendán added: “If it wasn’t for the struggles, you wouldn’t be as strong as you are today. God is always building you up, even when it feels like He’s breaking you.”
Earlier this week, Brendán also completed marathons in Bray, Co Wicklow, Wexford, Dublin, and Trim in Meath. He has also passed through Co Kildare, Offaly, Westmeath, Roscommon, Sligo, Leitrim, Longford, Donegal, and Sligo. He started the run in County Antrim on 27th July, running from there to Down, Downpatrick, Armagh, Monaghan town, Louth to Dundalk, Cavan, Fermanagh, Tyrone, and Derry, completing all the Northern counties.
You can follow his journey here as he completes the gruelling country wide circuit.
More than a fortnight into the run, he still has to complete marathons in Kilkenny, Carlow, Laois, Galway, Mayo, Clare, Tipperary, Cork and Limerick, finishing up in his native Listowel in County Kerry. He is not doing it alone, with his uncle and close friend, Padraig Enright, is accompanying him throughout the journey. In addition to that, a sense of community and music along the routes already tackled has helped spur Brendán on in his journey.
Figures show that the homelessness crisis has deepened, with 15,418 people throughout Ireland accessing emergency accommodation at the end of April 2025. This was an increase of 554 people (3.7%) compared to the end of 2024, and an increase of 1,552 (11.2%) on the total recorded at the end of the start of last year.
A total of 2,212 families who accessed emergency accommodation at the end of April 2025, which was an increase of 120 families (5.7%) on the position at the end of 2024, and an increase of 231 families (11.7%) on the total recorded at the beginning of last year.
You can read more about Run 32 here.