‘It’ll be a sea of purple’ – Memory Walk for Alzheimer's to take place in Laois this weekend
Laois chapter of annual Memory Walk will raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Laois will host a Memory Walk in aid of the Alzheimer Society of Ireland for a fifth year this weekend.
The Memory Walk is an annual event taking place in locations across the country.
Grainne Roche Duff has led the Laois walk since its inception. Roche Duff is the Laois Daycare Manager and Homecare Co-ordinator for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland. The cause is also close to her heart as her own mother, Noreen, passed away from Alzheimer’s Disease almost six years ago:
“It’s close to my heart as well, because my own mother had [Alzheimer’s] for ten and a half years,” said Roche Duff. “She got early-onset dementia, and my dad minded her at home for that duration, so I’d have a fairly big insight into it.”
She describes the event as the charity’s largest fundraiser, which helps to support the 65,000 people living with Dementia in Ireland and their families.
“It’s to raise awareness,” said Roche Duff. “Obviously it’s about fundraising too, but I think it’s mostly to raise awareness. Because I think there's a bit of a stigma still in the country, with Alzheimer's, Dementia, but this helps people – it helps kind of normalise it, you know, and bring people together.
“So it's called a Memory Walk, but we are honoring those who have passed, but also those who are living well with Dementia. It's to highlight both of those things. And it's lovely because families come together, and they get chatting to each other, and then the fact that we go down for refreshments afterwards, people get to chat.”
The walk will begin at Ballyroan GAA club at 11am this Sunday September 20, 2026. There are 2-kilometre and 3-kilometre routes available.
“We walk up the pitch, because it’s nice and safe and secure on the flat, and then we go back to Scully’s for refreshments afterwards.”
“And it'll be a sea of purple on the day, everybody wears the lovely purple Alzheimer’s t-shirts.”
You can register for the event on the Alzheimer’s Society Ireland website to receive a t-shirt in the post. There will also be a scannable QR code and iDonate link for donations on the day.