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GoFundMe’s annual 'giving report' for 2022 has revealed that Ireland is the most generous country in the world for the fourth year running.
The report found that Ireland gives the highest number of donations on the website per capita.
The most generous counties in Ireland this year, based on the number of donations per capita on GoFundMe, are Galway, Limerick and Cork.
Nearly three quarters of a million donations were made in Ireland throughout 2022. After Ireland, the most generous countries in the world on GoFundMe are the US, UK, Canada and Australia.
The causes supported in Ireland throughout the year included campaigns for local tragedies, animals, healthcare and the environment.
Rural causes were among the most supported, with donations coming from all over Ireland and overseas to assist campaigns in rural areas.
Creeslough tragedy
The village of Creeslough in Co Donegal was one of the most supported rural communities this year.
After an explosion at a petrol station in October tragically claimed the lives of 10 people, donations were given by people from all over Ireland and the world to support the devastated community.
The GoFundMe page for those affected by the Creeslough tragedy was set up by Creeslough native Gerard McFadden, who resides in Brisbane, Australia. The donations on this page currently stand at over €512,000.
Milltown, Co Kerry, also saw huge support this year, as the story of four brothers who lost both their parents to cancer spurred people to donate to help the boys purchase their home.
Brothers Patrick (21), Jack (14), Andrew (eight) and Conor (five) lost their mother Elaine in 2021 and their father Padraig in January this year.
A GoFundMe page was set up by the boys’ aunt Mary Hayes and their grandfather James Clifford to help the boys buy their family home, which was being rented at the time.
Over €386,000 was raised to help the Clifford brothers, which surpassed the target needed for the boys to buy their home.
A recent campaign that was set up after a nine-year-old boy was attacked by a dog in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, became another widely supported rural cause this year.
Injuries
Alejandro Mizsan suffered serious injuries after the attack. A neighbour of the boy, Caroline O’Brien, set up the GoFundMe page to support Alejandro and his family. The campaign currently stands at over €171,000, which hugely surpasses the original goal of €2,000.
This year, thousands of people in Ireland also donated to campaigns helping those affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Immediate Aid to Refugees Fleeing Ukraine and Medical Help Ukraine were two of the most widely supported campaigns in Ireland this year, as many Irish families also opened their homes to help Ukrainian refugees.
Medical Help Ukraine was started by a group of Ukrainian doctors working in the Irish healthcare system.
Over €780,000 was raised on GoFundMe, which was used to buy and deliver medical and surgical supplies to people in Ukraine impacted by the war.
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