In just a few weeks – 18th March to 27th March 2025 – Baz and the team from RTÉ will travel to Mooncoin in Co.Kilkenny to rally the troops to help complete a dream home for the O’Hanlon family, who need an adapted house for their little girl, Aoibhínn.
Aoibhínn and her family

Aoibhínn and her family.

Aoibhínn (9), was born with a severe type of spina bifida and hydrocephalus, which pose significant challenges for her and her family, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
She is completely paralysed from her belly button down and has had to have a shunt inserted to drain the fluid from her brain.
Aoibhínn lives in Mooncoin, County Kilkenny – with her Mam Sharon (Aoibhínn’s full-time carer), her Dad John, and her two younger siblings.
After many years of struggling to secure the money to build a home to meet Aoibhínn’s growing needs – with a lot of knockbacks and refusals – John and Sharon eventually managed to secure an extremely modest mortgage and embarked on their self-build.
To save money the family moved in with Aoibhínn’s grandparents. Conditions there are cramped as the house is now jam-packed with assistive devices and mobility equipment, such as wheelchairs, a stander, commodes, high chairs, and a changing unit
DIY SOS is looking for the following:

People:

Groundworkers, Ticketed Machine Drivers, Carpenters, General Labourers, Plumbers, Electricians, Slabbers, Blocklayers, Painters, Plasterers, Joiners, Pavers, Landscapers, Fencers, Tilers, Photography, Audiovisual companies, Catering, Cleaning and Registration Volunteers.

Companies:

  • Grab hire, skips, waste management, lawn turf, and other landscaping products.
  • Catering companies or local restaurants and cafés to provide breakfast rolls, lunch, dinners, and snacks.
  • Joinery companies, glazing, furniture, wallpaper, extensive homewares, photography and frames, bedding, mirrors, mattress suppliers, curtains, and blinds.
  • Traffic Management, Site Security, Van drivers, transport companies, marquees, accommodation, and printers.

If you’d like to get involved, please get in touch via email – diysoskilkenny@gmail.com – or call/ text 083 126 3130.

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