Galway woman’s charity cycle – along the entire Wild Atlantic Way
Galway woman Mary Connell is getting on her bike and cycling the entire Wild Atlantic Way to raise money for Irish Guide Dogs.
Mary, from Thumnasragh in Moycullen, plans to cycle around 100 kilometres per day for two and a half weeks to fundraise for her favourite charity, which helps people who are visually impaired.
Starting on May 11 in Kinsale in County Cork, Mary and her standard racing bike complete with panniers to carry her belongings, will cycle through Kerry, Clare, Galway, Sligo and Donegal before finishing in Muff around May 28.
Her friend Anna Kyne, from Moycullen – a sister of Galway West TD and Government Chief Whip, Sean Kyne – will accompany her for half of the trip, from Kinsale to Moycullen.
“I told her I expect some money from Leo (Varadkar, An Taoiseach),” joked Mary, who is doing the cycle to fundraise for the charity.
Another friend, Mary King from Castlegar, will soldier with her for four days, from Bundoran to Muff, at the end of the Wild Atlantic Way.
Mary participates in charity cycles locally every year, to raise funding for Galway Hospice, and 25 years ago she cycled from Mizen to Malin, but this is far more arduous.
“This is much longer. That was 400 miles or 415 miles but this is about 2,000 kilometres or near enough to 1,200 miles. But sure, it’s the holidays,” she said.
Mary Connell is a familiar face to anyone who shops in Anthony Ryan’s Homestore on Lombard Street, where she has been a sales assistant for the past twelve years.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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