Armagh Gaol to light up purple for World Pancreatic Cancer Day

Armagh’s landmark Gaol will be lit up in purple tomorrow to help raise awareness of pancreatic cancer.

The vacant prison will be bathed in the colour which is now globally recognised and associated with pancreatic cancer.

November is Pancreatic Cancer Month.

And tomorrow (Thursday), is World Pancreatic Cancer Day.

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council has now compiled a policy for the lighting of buildings in various colours during the course of the year.

One of those days is for World Pancreatic Cancer Day.

Lord Mayor Garath Keating will be present at 5.30pm as the purple lights are switched on at Armagh Gaol.

The colour is prevalent throughout Armagh City this month.

And that is down to Armagh woman Grainne O’Neill, who lost her mother Annie to the disease in January 2014.

Since then she has been on a mission to raise awareness for a disease that has just a one year relative survival rate of 20 per cent.

Grainne formed the Fight on for Annie charity and has been campaigning relentlessly.

With family and friends, her dedicated team of helpers have been urging businesses to ‘Turn it Purple’, placing balloons, bunting – something, anything – purple in their windows to catch the public attention and raise awareness.

Grainne is hoping that businesses will continue to dress their windows with a “purple presence” – even for a day!

All are invited to come along to the Gaol tomorrow too and show their support.

To keep up to date with what is happening and how to get involved in the local fundraising and awareness initiatives, check out the Fight on for Annie page on Facebook.