Members of local Tipperary Lions Club conquer 3 Tops Challenge

The sheep on the Comeragh Mountains had an early morning alarm call as four Lions descended on the Mahon Falls Car Park on Saturday, October 11.

Four members of Cashel Lions Club left Cashel at 7am to take on the 3 Tops Challenge and on the approach road to the Mahon Falls Car Park they disturbed a number of sheep who were slumbering, on the road or the roadside, in the breaking morning light.

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The stopwatch kicked into action at 8.06am as Willie Fahey, DJ Horan, Michael Begley and Eddie Morrissey left the car park to cross the River Mahon and commence the steep ascent to Fascoum, the highest point in the Comeragh Mountains.

In difficult underfoot conditions and navigating through low cloud and mist they group reached Fascoum where after a few photographs and an early morning snack the group commenced the tricky descent to the car park.

After a quick change of gear and a brief refuelling break the group waved goodbye to the grazing sheep and headed on a road trip to the Bay Lough Car Park, in the Knockmealdowns for the second leg of the challenge.

The group were joined at this point by Kate Fahey, a member of the Mid Tipp Hillwalking Club and great friend and supporter of Cashel Lions Club.

At 12:15 the group commenced the long ascent to Knockmealdown in ideal walking conditions.

During the mandatory break at the peak, the group were rewarded with the rare sight of a Brocken Spectre which created a colourful halo-like impression on the shadows of the climbers. Energised by this ‘canonisation’ by nature the group descended to the carpark and energised further by some light refreshments the group headed to the Black Road on the Galtee Mountains for the final part of the challenge.

At 3:30pm the four Lions, in the company of reinforcements from Cashel Lions Club and Mid-Tipp Hillwalking Club, set their sights on Galtee Mór.

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Cashel Lions Club President, Monica Slattery, her sister Mary, Margaret Molan-Ryan and Mary Gleeson provided plenty of encouragement to the core group of climbers, as did Ollie Walsh and Bridget Browne from the Mid-Tipp Hillwalking Club.

At 5:30pm the group reached their final destination and after savouring the delights of Galtee Mór in truly beautiful conditions the group gathered their thoughts and their final reserves of energy for the long descent to the car park.

After a 26 kilometre challenge, with a total ascent of 1470 metres, incorporating three peaks, the stop watch was stopped at 18:46.

The group returned to Cashel at 19:30 and after a much needed quick shower and a change into the ‘good clothes’ the four climbers joined their fellow Lions for a celebratory social event kindly sponsored by Feehan’s Bar in Cashel.
Cashel Lions Club would like to say thank you to all those who made donations to the online fundraising page, to the street collection, to individual Lions and also to the many businesses who were so generous in their sponsorship of the 3 Tops Challenge.

The 3 Tops Challenge is this year’s major annual fundraiser to support the range of community service activities organised by Cashel Lions Club.

Photographs from the challenge can be found on the Cashel Lions Club Facebook page.

The online fundraising page will remain open until October 31 and members of Cashel Lions Club will also accept donations or sponsorship over the coming weeks as the club makes preparations for a range of community support projects in the lead up to Christmas and beyond.