It was on 4th August last year that Knock native and Aghamore GAA footballer James McNeive tragically lost his life in a road traffic accident. He was just 28 years of age.

Today would have been James’ 29th birthday. To honour his memory, James’ family and friends have started a tradition of getting together during the week of his birthday to, in their owns words, “do something mad, fun and challenging to help raise funds for good causes that would have been close to James’ heart.”

They’ve set the bar high for this first year, in more ways than one, as over five days – starting today – they’re undertaking a five peaks challenge that involves climbing the four highest mountains in Ireland and the UK and then finishing up with a climb of Croagh Patrick.

The group tackled their first mountain today, which was Ben Nevis in Scotland. Tomorrow it’s Scafell Pike in northern England and on Thursday it’s onto Snowdon in Wales. Back in Ireland on Friday they’re climbing Carrauntoohil in Kerry before finishing up with the Reek climb on Saturday.

As well as being a tribute to James’ memory, the aim of all this endeavour is to raise funds for the James McNeive Foundation, which will then disburse the monies raised to a range of national and local charities and good causes.

This fundraising is already proving a massive success, with the target of €100,000 already achieved. Anyone who wants to make a donation may do so here.

The Connaught Telegraph has a detailed piece with more about James and more too on the background to this week’s events – that’s here.

James was, of course, a teacher by profession and his untimely and sudden death last year hit the school in which he taught, Glasnevin National School up here in Dublin, extremely hard. I’ve heard myself from the teaching community locally what a valued and popular colleague James was and how much his loss has affected teachers, pupils and parents alike.

To celebrate his memory this week, Glasnevin National School have organised a sponsored walk through the nearby (and very lovely) Griffith Park, which straddles Glasnevin and Drumcondra and through which the River Tolka flows.

The school walk is taking place in the park tomorrow (Wednesday 25th) at 10am. In a fitting tribute, the school have asked everyone taking part in tomorrow’s walk to wear the Green and Red in honour of James.

The best of luck with them tomorrow and good luck too to all the mountain climbers. With all that activity, to say nothing of the impressive fundraising, James’ family and friends have certainly succeeded in keeping his name alive. More power to them.