Kilkenny's weir wonders ready for epic journey!

A group of dedicated Kilkenny triathletes are hoping to make waves for a local cause as they gear up for an epic fundraiser.

The Mizen 2 Malin adventure will see 11 members of the Kilkenny Triathlon Club - Dinny Brennan, Karen Ryan, Peadar Brennan, Marie Slattery, Ken Byrne, Philip Molloy, Mike Cahill, Paddy Langton, Heather Purcell, Deirdre Foley and Brian Keane - cycle from Mizen to Malin to raise funds for the Thomastown Community River Trust group.

But there’s more. As well as pedalling the length of the country, the group will add a splash of variety to their five-day adventure by going for a swim every night along the route. Expect to see them stop for dips in Bantry, Ballyheigue, Kinvara, Strandhill and Buncrana.

“We all love to swim, with most of us swimming all year round,” group member Brian Keane, who set up their GoFundMe page, explained. “One of our favourite areas to swim is at the Weir in Thomastown - it’s a great public amenity, so we were happy to help them along. The funds raised means they will be able to maintain and improve this fantastic facility, which is free for all to use.”

Support
Working over the past few months to get the trip moving, the group enlisted the help of Michael O’Boyle and Cycling Solutions to source accommodation along the route. They will also have a support van following them all the way, but that’s only half the journey - preparing for long days in the saddle has made for plenty of group cycles to get the legs ready for what lies ahead.

“We have a long cycle every Saturday as a group, while many of us are also members of the Kells Angels Cycling Club and go on the Sunday spin as well,” said Brian. “Others have been going on the turbo trainer on Mondays to get used to being on the bike for a few days in succession.

Picturesque

“You could do the trip right up through the country, which is 580km, but taking in the swim stops means we’ll be covering about 690km,” he added. “It means a little more climbing, but the route will be more picturesque and interesting. It will be tough, but there’s a great bunch doing it so we’ll enjoy the trip.”
While it’s a national journey, the local goal is the big spur for the group. Raising money for the River Trust group will see work continue at the weir, which now boasts a 50 metre outdoor pool, which will benefit many communities in the area.

“Initially we had been hoping to raise over €1,000 for the Weir fund but with the help of sponsors and other supporters it’s taken on a life of its own in recent weeks,” said Brian. “It’s been great to get such a response.”

Incredible
The reaction has been incredible - even before a wheel was turned on the route the group had reached their target of €5,000 - now every extra cent raised will be a bonus to their appeal.
While the cyclists will leave Kilkenny today (Wednesday) their adventure starts in earnest tomorrow (Thursday) when they roll out from Mizen at 8am and make their way towards Ballyheigue.

On Friday the tour takes them from Ballyheigue to Kinvara, while the weekend sees them travel from Kinvara to Strandhill and Strandhill to Rathmullan/Buncrana. The journey finishes on Bank Holiday Monday, with a short spin from Buncrana to Malin Head, the most northerly point on the island of Ireland.

You can still donate to the fundraiser at https://gofund.me/562b2566