Lone survivor challenge completed

Two Cavan men completed their brave mission to raise funds for the local hospice.

Both John Magee and Sean O’Flaherty spent 48 hours on Inch Island out into the waters of Cavan’s Lough Oughter.

The challenge, named ‘Off the Grid: Lone Survivor’ will raise funds for St Christopher's Hospice, which provides respite care to patients in both Cavan and Monaghan.

So far, they have raised €4,500 but the fundraiser will remain open for donations until February 2025.

John, who used to work in security, undertook the challenge from November 8 to November 10; while his partner Sean was dropped off all alone on the island the following weekend. Each man stayed on the island for 48 hours with basic rations to sustain them, a tent, no time devices, phones, music or any type of entertainment.

They only had the sounds of nature to entertain themselves. Speaking after the entire challenge was finished, John said the night before he went out onto the island was “nearly the worst night".

“It was expecting the unexpected. I was mindful that, going for 48 hours, it would be the longest time in my life that I would not be in close proximity or even talking to somebody for that period of time.

“What kept me going is that I made this decision for the betterment of the charity, St Christopher’s Hospice.”

Also the “realisation” of people “not as fortunate” as him kept him going while he was out in the wilderness.

“I was able to decide on my calendar when I was going out, when I was coming home. There are people who live with unexpected, tragic news every day. Not only do they deal with loneliness but they also deal with grief on top of that.”

With pleasant weather on both weekends, John agreed that they were lucky to have missed Storm Bert, reporting that they both “knew what they were getting into”.

“Nobody handed us this, we created this ourselves,” he said, adding that they were both committed to “get it done” for the hospice.

John thanked everybody who helped the men in their fundraising adventure.

Donations to the fundraiser can be made via idonate here

“There’s a lot of pull out of the public purse,” he acknowledged, with a lot of “worthy causes” raising funds.

“What comes in, comes in,” concluded John.