Why am I doing a single handed cycle around Ireland? Just to give some family and personal background ...

I'm married to Jane and have 4 children, Keeva (8), Jamie (5) and Finn (3) and Ciaran (20) from a previous relationship. This is my support team. They are the ones that have supported me in this endeavour allowing me to train for 4 and 5 hours at a time.  I will be gone for 14 days which will be the longest time that I have ever been away from my family.

I am 40 years old born in March 1971 the 5th of 8 children.  One of my sisters Helen died in a fire when she was 1½ and my mother died of cancer a couple of years later. It was Christmas 1983 I was 12 years old, Mammy was 40 the same age I am now.

When I was 19 I lost my arm in a tractor accident on the family farm.  After a period of turbulence, I went back to school did my leaving cert went to college did a degree and a masters in sociology.

I started working in research on homelessness in 2004.  In 2006 I was doing research on migrants in the Capuchin Day Centre when I saw the great work that they do. Feeding over 600 poor and homeless people from all over the country per day.  The centre also gives out over 1000 food parcels every week.  One of the most important things for me was that I know that the money that I raise will go to the people that need it.  Karl Marx has a much quoted line that says “religion is the opiate of the people”  but he went on to say that “it is the heart of a heartless world”.  In the age of austerity the Capuchin Day centre is the heart of a heartless world.   

I decided to do the Single-handed cycle around Ireland for a number of reasons the most important being to raise money for the centre.  But also I wanted to mark turning 40 it was the age that my mother died and I feel that it is a significant age something that should be marked, I did have a party but I wanted a physical challenge as well. 

I have never done anything like this before but I have been training for over a year for this and feel like I am ready for this cycle around Ireland. I will be averaging about 70 miles a day on the bike although I have done several long cycles I have not done it on consecutive days over a sustained period.  I am nervous and excited at the same time but looking forward to the challenge.

I would ask people to dig  deep and give generously as the Capuchin Day Centre is a very worthy cause.