Colin Farrell invites Irish autism campaigner to deliver his charity's keynote speech
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A school girl autism campaigner from Co Tipperary delivered the keynote address at the launch of actor Colin Farrell’s new charity foundation in the US last night.
Cara Darmody, aged 14, used the opportunity to tell the 1,200 guests at the event in Chicago how the lack of sufficient special needs assessments and provision is a “national disgrace” in Ireland.
She also talked about the shortcomings of HSE provisions which can cause “permanent damage” to special needs children.
They include her youngest brother John and her oldest brother, Neil, who both have autism.
His delayed care and assessment, for example, has led to an irreversible worsening of his severe, non-verbal autism.
Cara, who met Colin Farrell when he was in Dublin in October to compete in the marathon, was in Chicago with her father Mark. Her mother Noelle looked after her brothers at home in Ardfinnan, Co Tipperary.
Farrell, whose son James was born with the rare neuro-genetic disorder Angelman Syndrome, invited her to speak at his charity's launch and talk about what she has been able to achieve for special needs provision in Ireland.
The Hollywood A-lister told her parents he would like Cara to speak at the Chicago event, her father Mark said, as he considers the teenager’s campaign and her approach to be an “inspiration”.
The Colin Farrell Foundation, which Farrell launched during the summer, seeks to benefit people living with intellectual disabilities and their families.
After the event, Cara told the Irish Examiner: "I’m in dreamland to be honest.
"He's followed my campaign for quite some time, and I’ve got to know him over the last few months.
“He’s just the most incredible guy ever.
“Now he wants to change the world for people with intellectual disabilities.
“I just can’t believe that he wants to be associated with me.
“To speak in front of 1200 distinguished guests was the greatest moment of my life.”
Her father Mark said: “To see your daughter taking to the stand to address this type of event is simply beyond anything you could ever dream about.
“While we don’t do the celebrity thing, it’s very hard not to be impressed by Colin Farrell.
“The guy is a legend. To see him embracing your daughter’s ideals, and praise her character, is beyond being proud.”
Cara has been at the forefront of a drive for better special needs services, and a campaign to get the HSE to stop breaking the law because under the Disability Act 2005, it is legally obliged to have a child’s special needs assessed within six months.
However, the HSE - which has previously apologised for the “serious inadequacies” of its disabilities provision - has repeatedly failed to do this over the past 19 years.
The 14-year-old's campaign has so far led to the allocation of more than €17m in government funding for special needs assessments and other services, something outgoing Taoiseach Simon Harris has acknowledged.
As well as extra government funding, this has included issues around awareness and advocacy about special needs provision - some of the issues the Colin Farrell Foundation was set up to campaign about.
After introducing herself to the 1,200 guests, Cara - who was flown to Chicago by Farrell - told of how “things are often really tough (growing up) watching my parents struggling to obtain basic services from the national health service in Ireland, which is called the HSE”.
Echoing statements she has made publicly in the Dáil, to various taoisigh and HSE chiefs, she said: “Right now in Ireland, it can take four to five years to be assessed with an intellectual disability, with little or no services on offer afterwards, even in our schools.
“That delay causes permanent damage.
“Once you turn 18 with an intellectual disability, you often have nowhere to go, again with no services on offer.
“More recently I’ve described it as an international embarrassment, and nobody ever disagrees with me.”
She added: “It’s simply not good enough and it must be respectfully called out.”
Cara, who held a series of Greta Thunberg-style protests outside the Dáil and the Taoiseach’s Office earlier this year, told the audience about the various landmarks of her campaign.
They include her - at the age of 12 - becoming the youngest person in Ireland to pass Leaving Cert maths.
She told how she took both ordinary level papers at her national school in June 2023.
Some six years ahead of her time, she got 97% - the same mark she got when she sat Junior Cert maths in 2022.