A little girl from Limerick is raising awareness for pulmonary fibrosis by telling jokes.

11-year-old Hannah Noonan's grandfather passed away from the disease in March.

Hannah told Newstalk Breakfast this morning that the challenge is inspired by her grandfather's love of telling jokes.

She will share a joke every day on social media throughout the month of September to raise money and awareness for the life-threatening disease.

Hannah has been writing to well-known sports stars, TV and radio personalities, politicians and even President Michael D. Higgins, asking them to contribute a joke.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a disease that affects lung function.

Hannah's mother Sharon described what it was like when her father was diagnosed just before lockdown.

"It was something that we weren't familiar with so, of course, like most people we go to Dr Google and we were most alarmed to find out that it is a very life-limiting, chronic, progressive, rare lung disease."

"During those two years, he was very fortunate to find the Northern Trust Pulmonary Fibrosis Support Group, who really were absolutely fantastic in giving him lots of support and reassurance."

In the first lockdown, Hannah began sharing her own jokes every day on social media to 'lift spirits'.