Seventy-six cyclists pedalled an epic 180km from Galway City to Lisadobber near Ballyneale on Saturday, September 5 to raise funds for Ballyneale Community Field and the Dillon Quirke Foundation.
The Galway to Lisadobber Charity Cycle has so far raised €60,000 and €30,000 cheques were presented to the benefiting causes at Ballyneale Community Field barbecue last Saturday.
The cyclists, who raised the funds, hailed from the Ballyneale, Carrick-on-Suir and Grangemockler areas, and from as far as Limerick, Waterford, Kilkenny and the US.
They departed from Aranmore Lodge Hotel at 7am and travelled to Tipperary via Portumna. They passed through Borrisoleigh, Thurles, Mullinahone and Grangemockler before finishing at Lisadobber after 6pm. Nigel Hanrahan, one of the organisers, said they were blessed with great weather throughout their journey.
A post-cycle barbecue and music entertainment were hosted for the cyclists at Lisadobber Pub at which medals were presented to all the participants.
It was an even sweeter occasion to relax for Nigel and 11 others, who did the cycle straight after completing the four-day Tour de Conamara.
Nigel paid tribute to the “great community spirit” of fellow Galway to Lisadobber Charity Cycle Committee members, all the cyclists and volunteers who helped out and all who donated money to the causes.
5. Galway to Lisadobber Cycle
The O'Neill family from Lisadobber: Pat O'Neill, Eimear O'Neill, Marie O'Neill and Pat and Mari's grandchildren Aoibhin Fahey and Eve-Lynne Goudy outside Lisadobber Pub for the finish of the charity cycle | Anne Marie Magorrian