I will be doing an 8 hour fundraising cycle on a training frame in Northside Shopping Centre on Saturday 19th. December 2009. The cycle is in aid of Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin. The cycle will take place inside the shopping centre between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

A number of people have offered to join me on the trip and I feel that some may have jumped in feet first without realising what is really involved.  In case there are any misconceptions about what is involved, the following are some details.

I hope to use the trip to raise €20,000 for Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland. I will be paying my own personal expenses i.e. plane fare, bike transport and hostel or hotel accommodation when needed during the 35 days. However, I will be carrying camping and cooking equipment and hope to camp out most nights (accommodation is cheap in Morocco so I may opt for hotel or hostel accommodation while on that leg of the trip).

Anybody wishing to come along on the trip (and who does not want to spend a small fortune on accommodation) would need a minimum of a one man tent, sleeping bag and liner and therma-rest or light inflatable mattress, together with toiletries, clothing etc. The most important point to emphasise is that they would need a means of carrying these items on the bike i.e. panniers. This would cause a problem for cyclists who own carbon frame bikes, as panniers cannot be attached to these. (Not that I am aware of anyway). A cheap steel frame touring bike with a decent set of tyres would be fine for the trip.

If you intend to join me on the trip, bear in mind that it is going to be a real challenge. Spain has got more hills than any other country in Europe. You may not be able to shower for days, so one man tents will be essential for each person

If you are prepared to rough it and still want to join me, welcome aboard on our cycle for a great cause.

From Sunday 14^th. March to Saturday 17th. April 2010 (35 days), I hope to cycle from Morocco, North Africa, to Ireland, (via Spain and France) and raise €20,000 in sponsorship for the Children’s Medical and Research Foundation of Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin,Dublin, Ireland.

The cycle will be self supported and self-funded so all sponsorship raised, without any deductions, will go directly to Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital. However, I still need the following items and would very much appreciate if they could be supplied by a corporate donor in order to reduce my personal expenses for the trip:

• One man touring tent.
• Light sleeping bag and liner.
• Supply of powdered milk.
• Dried foods which can be re-hydrated.

Michael, like myself is retired. I have carried out my fundraising activities for the past few years using the alias “The Pedalling Pensioner”. The new partnership will be called; wait for it! ——- “The Pedalling Pensioners!!”

I arrived home on Saturday 12th. September from Athens, Georgia, USA, where I had taken part in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, Annual Overseas Cycle Challenge.

To view my journal and photos from the trip please click here

The cycle mentioned below, eventually became the Howth Head to Malin Head to Mizen Head Cycle (1,146 km or 712 miles) done over 9 days and completed at Mizen Head at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday 19th. July 2009.

Some of the participants used the event to raise money for the very worthy charity, Goal. I used the event to raise funds for Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin and the result of my efforts was €6,295. A big, big thank you on behalf of myself and Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin to all who supported me. Donations can still be made through the donation page that the hospital has set up for me at :  http://www.cmrf.org/sponsorshipManager/Usr_EventDonation.asp?EventId=223

My journal and photos from the cycle can be viewed at: Howth2Malin2Mizen Journal and Photos

I will be taking part in a fundraising cycle for the benefit of Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, from Malin Head to Mizen Head from 14th. to 19th. July. Our chosen route covers a distance of 433 miles. We will be averaging 75 miles a day for the first five days and just 26 miles (Bantry to Mizen Head) on the last day. Please sponsor me by clicking on the fundraising page that has been set up for me by Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital at: http://www.cmrf.org/sponsorshipManager/Usr_EventDonation.asp?EventId=223  

If you then e-mail me at onyerbike@the-pedaling-pensioner.org I will insert your name in an appropriate box on my website http://the-pedaling-pensioner.org/M2M.html and inform you.

I  did two 8 hour non-stop fundraising cycles at the entrance to East Pier, Howth on the May Bank Holiday weekend (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the 2nd./3rd. May 2009) for the benefit of Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin. I had intended to cycle on Monday 4th. also but the weather was unsuitable. However, I still managed to raise €2,145 in sponsorship. A big, big thank you to all of you who supported a great cause and made the saddle-sores acquired in pursuit of my fundraising goal, worthwhile!

Article in Irish Independent:

My web site

My Bebo Page

Malin Head to Mizen Head Cycle 2009

Cycle Across America 2010

Monterey Cycle Challenge 2008

Members of CanTeen Ireland on an adventure outing.

I am hoping to do an 8 hour cycle on a training frame, in a shopping centre, in the near future, to raise much needed funding for CanTeen Ireland. CanTeen Ireland is a nation-wide support group for young people who have or have had cancer. The date and venue for the cycle will be announced later. (Probably in early summer).
Please visit CanTeen Ireland’s website at http://www.canteen.ie

CanTeen Gang at Barretstown

Irish Independent. Saturday 17th. January 2009.

Elaine Keogh

Saturday January 17 2009

A TWO-year-old boy who suffers autism will finally get an assistance dog after his mother raised €45,000 towards the cause.

It’s believed it is one of the largest sums ever fund-raised by an individual in the history of the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, who provide and train assistance dogs.

Lucy Owens from Tullyallen, Co Louth, yesterday presented the cheque to the organisation, and, if all goes to plan, her son Joey should have a dog sometime next year.

"The effort she put in has been phenomenal. For an individual with their family and friends, this has to be the one of the greatest fund-raising efforts in the history of the association," said its regional development managerPaddy Coyle.

Mrs Owens and her husband Pat believe the whole family will benefit from the dog and its calming effect. They have three other children, including an elder son who is also autistic.

Among the many events held was an abseil down the side of a hotel by school mums and other friends.

Last week pensioner Eugene O’Leary cycled for eight hours in a shopping centre and raised another €1,200.

"It took on a life of its own and every day people are coming up and giving me money," said Mrs Owens.

Yesterday she presented the cheque at Aiken army barracks in Dundalk as the abseil was done under the supervision of army Sgt Alan O’Reilly.

- Elaine Keogh