Croagh Patrick to Ballinagh by bike

A group of cyclists from the Ballinagh area will cycle a total of 200km from Croagh Patrick to Ballinagh on July 2 with a goal of raising at least €20,000 for St John's Ward in Crumlin Children's Hospital. There are up to 400 sponsorship cards in circulation and everyone is asked to support the challenge. Conor Shields from Corduff near Ballinagh told The Anglo-Celt that they will be leaving Croagh Patrick on their bicycles and will cycle back the 200km to Ballinagh. "John McDermott, Sean Smith, Frank Cronin and myself came up with the idea a number of weeks ago to cycle from Croagh Patrick back to Ballinagh and we literally put the wheels in motion to get the idea up and running," said Conor. He explained that they all went off the following Saturday, got new bikes and started a training schedule. There are around 30 people signed up to do the cycle so far and more people would be welcome. The other important aspect of the fundraiser is that 50 people are going to climb Croagh Patrick simultaneously and the money raised from that will also go to the overall sum raised. They will be travelling to Westport on the Friday night in Breffni Air vans and cars, and leaving Westport on the bikes at 7am on Saturday, July 2 - the climbers will be taking on Croagh Patrick at 8am. They have arranged both challenges to ensure, as far as possible, that they will all be back in Ballinagh at the same time. The climbers will be taken back to Ballinagh on a bus. They are all enjoying the training and build-up, and all cycle around 100km per week. The main sponsor is Paddy Sheanon from Breffni Air. Aine Comiskey from Bruskey, one of the Croagh Patrick climbers is really looking forward to the challenge, as she has never climbed the iconic mountain before. "It is great to see all these young people linking up to participate in this challenge for such a good cause," she said. Aine, a farm manager in Navan, says she walks at least four or five miles a day and is well prepared for the climb. "I want to have it to say that I actually climbed Croagh Patrick!" Another one of the organisers, Ann Marie McPhillips, said the cycling is a complete new challenge to most of the participants, although a few have done similar runs before. She said they had a definite fundraising target of €20,000, and will be endeavouring to surpass that. "It is all going to a great cause, St John's Ward in Crumlin Children's Hospital, and will benefit children with cancer. Back in 2001 I lived for nine weeks in Crumlin myself as I had a child up there. I know at first-hand what the trauma is like for parents and children. The money raised will help to improve facilities for parents and children in St John's Ward." Those participating are from Ballinagh, Denn, Bruskey, plus a girl from Monaghan and another from Dublin. Activities coming up to boost funds include a table quiz in the Tank in Denn in June and a barbecue at Kernan's Bar in the Ballymachugh area on the Sunday of the June bank holiday weekend.