Vicky Phelan 'will do everything in my power' to climb Croagh Patrick with Charlie Bird

The CervicalCheck campaigner said she will do everything she can to travel to Mayo in April to offer her support to the “Climb with Charlie” event.

“Climb With Charlie” is a charitable initiative established by the former reporter in which he will summit Ireland’s holy mountain to raise funds and awareness for people suffering from terminal illnesses and mental health struggles.

“Charlie, I will do EVERYTHING within my power to be at Croagh Patrick on April 2 to wave you and all my family and friends and our supporters off,” Ms Phelan said.

“THIS is my goal once treatment finishes at the beginning of March. Fingers, toes and everything crossed I will BE there with you.”

The former RTÉ correspondent responded to Vicky’s message online and said he was thinking of her.

“Vicky, I want you to be there as well, you are a most remarkable human being, as I have said before, meeting you late last year was like catching up with an old friend,” he said.

“You should be given the freedom of this country. Thinking of you.”

Ms Phelan was recently awarded the Freedom of Limerick for her work in uncovering the CervicalCheck scandal.

The honour is reserved for those who have made “exceptional or unique” contribution to the common good or to persons who have made outstanding contributions to the life of Limerick.

Ms Phelan recently said she was feeling well at the moment and paid tribute to her medical team for their work.

“I’ve been really living my life over the last number of months,” she told RTÉ's Morning Ireland.

“I do feel a lot better at the moment, there’s been a lot of adjustments with my medications over the last number of weeks.”

"I've a great palliative team and a great oncology team, and they both talk to each other frequently, so they know what everyone is doing."

Mr Bird received a terminal diagnosis of MND last year after noticing issues with his voice and has spoken candidly about his challenges since the diagnosis.

He will be joined on his April 2 climb by a host of Ireland’s well-known campaigners and faces, including singer Daniel O’Donnell.

Mr Bird has called on people around the country who can’t join him on the Reek on April 2 to climb a mountain in their local area and donate to Climb With Charlie if they can - the proceeds of which go to the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Foundation and Pieta House.