Lelia Doolan, a pioneer in the cultural sector, marked her 90th birthday milestone in quite an adventurous manner – her debut skydive. The bold event also served as a fundraising initiative for Médecins Sans Frontières Ireland, an organisation greatly admired by Ms. Doolan for its selfless contributions to providing medical aid in regions such as Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine. Ahead of the jump, she expressed her appreciation for charitable giving and how every bit of contribution makes a difference.
The thrilling skydive took place last Saturday at the Irish Parachute Club in Clonbullogue Airfield, Co Offaly. Leila alongside her instructor, Łukasz Kucharski jumped from a staggering height of nearly 4,000m. The impressive feat not only marked her 90th birthday in a unique way, but also successfully raised over €28,000, far exceeding her initial goal of €3,000.
Beside being a nonagenarian adrenaline junkie, Lelia Doolan is a renowned writer, broadcaster, filmmaker, theatre director, lecturer, and environmentalist. Long breaking the barriers in the world of Irish culture and arts, she became the first female artistic director at the Abbey Theatre and also the first woman to chair the Irish Film Board. She is also credited with co-founding the Galway Film Fleadh and leading the push for a new Galway arts cinema, Palás.
Her significant works include the 2011 documentary on political activist Bernadette Devlin McAliskey entitled ‘Bernadette: Notes on a Political Journey’ and the 1988 film by Joe Comerford, ‘Reefer and the Model’.
In 1969 she made headlines when she stepped down from her position at RTÉ, expressing her disagreement with the direction of the station. Her legacy there included roles such as the head of light entertainment, director on The Riordans, and a producer on flagship current affairs program Seven Days.
Born in Cork, Lelia, who now resides in Killeenaran, Co Galway celebrated her 90th birthday on the 7th of May just days before her daring skydive. Merriment is a common occurrence in her village around that time as it is home to five people who share close birthdates in May, making the village abound with celebrations.