Former Otherkin guitarist Conor Wynne is preparing to run his first Dublin Marathon in memory of his father, who died just weeks before his wedding.
The Castleknock resident will take on the 26.2-mile challenge on Sunday, October 25, raising funds for the Irish Kidney Association in recognition of its support for his father Brian and their family.
Brian, an accomplished trumpet player, died on May 1 this year, aged 75.
Conor married his wife Lana on May 30 (both pictured above)
“Dad never got to see me, his youngest son, marry or step inside our new home. This year has held some of the greatest highs of my life, alongside its deepest loss,” Conor said.
“The marathon offers a way to honour his memory while acknowledging the support that helped him and our family through years of illness and treatment.”
For Conor, the challenge is far removed from performing to crowds across Europe with Dublin indie-rock band Otherkin.
The band enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2017, when their debut album, OK, reached No. 2 in the Irish charts and they supported Guns N’ Roses at Slane Castle.
Now working as a creative technologist at Verve Live Agency, Conor hopes his marathon effort will help other families affected by kidney disease.
“I’m running this marathon to remember Dad, to thank the Irish Kidney Association for the support it gave him and continues to give other patients and families, and to help others living through similar experiences,” he said.
The accomplished trumpet player, the late Brian Wynne.
Originally from Mullingar, Brian made his family home in Leixlip with his wife Terry and their three children, Keith, Karen and Conor.
He was managing director of music distribution company Record Services and played trumpet with Route 66, The Imperial Imps and Mullingar Town Band.
After years of declining kidney function, Brian began dialysis in August 2018.
An unsuccessful attempt at home dialysis meant travelling from Leixlip to Tallaght University Hospital three times a week for treatment.
Although initially disruptive, the visits also brought companionship through friendships with fellow patients.
Several relatives explored donating a kidney.
Conor shared his father’s blood group, but they were not a tissue match, leaving him deeply disappointed.
Another setback followed when Brian was called to Beaumont Hospital for a possible transplant.
Already in his hospital gown and preparing for surgery, he learned that tumours had been discovered on the donated kidney and the operation could not proceed.
At the end of October 2022, another call came. This time, a suitable kidney was available through the generosity of a deceased donor and their family.
The successful transplant gave Brian renewed energy and the family another three and a half years together.
“The transplant was successful, and the years that followed were everything we had hoped for,” Conor recalled.
“The dad we knew was back, full of energy, vitality and a renewed lust for life. He returned to his passion for music, playing with Route 66 once again.”
The late Brian Wynne with his friend Finnegan
Brian and Terry travelled, taking cruises and returning to Germany, where they had lived early in their relationship.
Brian also shared his experiences with medical professionals at the request of his consultant nephrologist, Prof Catherine Wall, and served as a renal patient representative on a hospital dietitian committee.
But after contracting Covid in December 2025, his health deteriorated sharply.
Serious complications followed, including infections, cancerous growths, sepsis and delirium, as well as surgery.
Despite treatment and his family’s support, he never recovered.
As Conor prepares for the Irish Life Dublin Marathon, he remains grateful for the additional time the transplant gave them and hopes to turn that gratitude into support for others.
“It is my way of putting one foot in front of the other as I learn to live without him, carrying him with me while building a life he would have been proud of.”
To support Conor’s fundraising for the Irish Kidney Association, visit https://eventmaster.ie/fundraising/pages/CW53362104