Collected!!!
Last year we raised EURO 13,500 and we hope to improve on this. 22 cyclist including 3 visually impaired completed this challenge which started 23rd May and Finished Malin Head 30th May along with a support crew of up to 8.
cycling group
Funny you would think they would have public loos at the end of Ireland- Pat Cummins was colour co-ordinated even down to the red dot on his shoes as we gathered in the sunshine for the start of this years cycling challenge. We�re only doing 50 miles today, which is lying for 75 miles really. We�re not sure if Trish had tried the floating willies theory on all the team- she later admitted she had not under severe Garda interrogation- she was still too giggly for such an early start after such a late night with the wedding going on in the hotel the previous night. After comments on my droopy saddlebag, Roger was on the hunt for his share in the Assos Chamois relief cream. To be repeated throughout the week. It was strange starting from where we ended up last year- and, as luck would have it in glorious sunshine too. It almost felt as if we were going downhill most of the way, except for the hill after durrus. We stopped off n the hotel in Bantry for a n early lunch and then t he hills started � there was that long slow climb out of Glengarriff through the Caha pass and into Kerry- boy did that go on forever- but the view was spectacular even though the sign for the tunnel came about 5 miles too early. A fantastic decent into Kenmare followed along with what is known in the trade as scrotum bashing road surface, and another round of sandwiches. In comparison, Molls Gap was easier than expected but we had to leg it as we were being eaten alive by midges. Past Ladies view and into Killarney. We all felt very young checking into Gleneagles Hotel after the National ark. We tried to get into the Pat Short show which was playing that night in their 2000 seated venue, but I think someone tipped them off about his neighbours Trish�s laugh so some headed to the bar and some for an early night.
Miserable day but we brightened up the breakfast for most of the blue rinse guests in our red and lycra gear as we assembled in the drizzle outside putting the bikes together. For some reason the nappies must have been on the Jaunting cars as the usual horse smell was missing as we sped through the town. I got onto the tandem with Maura in Tralee. After a few attempts I managed to start the bike at the same time as Maura, nearly crashing as we were laughing so much! I kept saying that it was like giving a back carrier except that the speed is something else going downhill. George�s knee was banjaxed by Listowel and Billy had broken his first bike at this stage snapping the frame going up the Caha pass. At this rate there�d be no-one left to pilot him by the end of the week. My licence to pilot ran out at the Kerry border so Kevin took over, taking a detour to Co. Limerick for Lunch. We skidded down to Tarbert awaiting the ferry. Hmm Greek Island hopping it certainly wasn�t but we got chatting to al the people trapped in their cars, the Dutch telling us that they have the same rain when they cycle except that ours is warm. Off the ferry and a mad twisty way into Kilkee via Kilrush. The mist was thick so even the Garda van got lost so we turned back and got to our hotel. Kilkee was well quiet to say the least, as we tried to make out the Atlantic in Front of us. Lynch hotels, one of our sponsors wanted a group shot of all of us outside the hotel but hadn�t guaranteed the weather. Later that evening in the bar, I taught them all Bonjour Madame card game but this was soon replaced by a very rowdy game of spoons � After hours drinks were served by a WW2 veteran who was over here with his new wife of 10 years. Yes Paul Malone does cheat at card games!
At least we could see Kilkee Bay as the rain lifted and the sun poked through the skies. I told Maura I still wasn�t licenced to drive a tandem in Co. Clare so Eamonn stepped in. Georges knee was better but he kept on a solo bike and Kevin took on the turbo powered Billy on Malcolm�s bike. By the way they started off we all thought they were going to be walking to Lehinch. Heading up to Milltown Malbay, Benny and Pat get a blowout. Onto Lehinch, great roads and boy it gets sunny. There was serious Coach Traffic in the town. The Garda van starts getting non-EU regulation emissions and has to be taken off the road. Spurred on by the local guards in the town, he rings s the assistant commissioner, who, after some negotiation (sorry have to be careful about this- don�t want a police record!) offers a replacement Garda van from Ennis, as he was very impressed with our charity event. Roger was acting as lead beacon as we caught up with him before lunch and tried to deflate his tyres to slow him down- don�t know what he has for breakfast but I think we all want some too. The coach group from Devon looked on bemused as we lowered the average age of Lisdoonvarna by half. All downhill with that fantastic corkscrew hill after the town. Billy and Kevin nearly took out the garden wall on the way down- one more degree and they would have touched the ground. Tom broke his chain and I think most of the bikes were jinxed with chain failure today. A lovely spin through the Burren, with a great farmer�s tan to prove it. The ice cream stop in Kinvara saw Hugh Fall off his bike at 0 mph, and all the school kids follow Mary through the town texting all their friend that they�d just seen a star from treasure Island. The group from Devon looked on bemused again (are they following us?) Kevin rallied onto Oranmore on the Tandem with Billy, more curses coming out of the bike then the pair of them, as did Eamonn who had trouble getting off the bike when we got to the hotel