Ireland 2023 ☘️

10/07/2023

Welcome to Donegal! And what a way to begin another edition of "Journey for X." With a whopping nine cyclists in tow we kicked off this year with our largest group yet, including several that were joining us for the first time. What better way to start our Ireland journey than being thrown straight into the deep end with a 100 km + day right off the hop. We began our morning bright and early, waking up around 5am and getting ourselves fed and ready to cycle the 3km up to the northernmost point of mainland Ireland at Malin Head. There, we were serenaded by Luke O'Hara who sang a very beautiful rendition of The Parting Glass.

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From there we had to make haste, as we had a ferry to catch and not much time to get there. With some teamwork and some frantic peddling we managed to make it to the ferry in the nick of time, cycling James-Bond-style directly on to the boat just as it was pulling away. Thank you to Fionna for sweet talking the ferryman into holding the boat for a few minutes so that we didn't have to wait for the next one, which would have put us behind on our day by a few hours. 

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On the other side we were in less of a rush, but with still over 60 km to go and some pretty big hills to conquer, we were in for a long day. We arrived at the world famous Leo's Tavern at around 6:45pm, where we refuelled and spent a wonderful evening reflecting on our longest cycling day to date. We were also lucky enough to be treated to a trad music session, which lasted well into the night.

 

It was a hard day, but the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful. As we have previously mentioned, the Gweedore area is particularly significant to our cause, as it is home to a disproportionately high rate of hereditary amyloidosis (otherwise known as ATTR amyloidosis). Donegal was a treat to ride through, and we were going to need to be up bright and early for another big test on Day 2. 

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Start 06:57; distance 111 km; moving time 07:48:52; elevation 1,351 m; 

max elevation 281 m; average speed 14.9 km/h; max speed 49.3 km/h.

11/07/2023

Our already aching legs carried us up the big hill out of Meenaleck, away from the homey comfort of the glamping pods behind Leo's Tavern. The first stop was a short ten minute ride away, where we sat down for a fulfilling breakfast at the Caisleáin Óir Hotel. From there we took off into what was becoming a brilliantly sunny day, which somehow felt much longer than the previous day despite being slightly less distance. By the time we stopped for a well-earned lunch at Donegal Castle, our legs were definitely feeling it. Based on the sheer amount of steep climbs we had to make throughout the day, it's safe to say we now truly understand the meaning of the song "Hills of Donegal." Alas, we kept in good spirits and managed to really enjoy the day. 

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As we approached Bundoran, the weather had taken quite a drastic turn (it is Ireland after all!) and was a stark contrast to the sunny skies we had seen for the majority of the day. Photo opportunities were limited, as the heavens opened up on us and we got absolutely drenched for probably the last hour of cycling. But we made it to Bundoran in one piece, where we gratefully stored our bikes behind the Rolling Wave Guesthouse before swiftly getting showered and into dry clothes. Laundry facilities being limited, we had to hope for the best that our cycling gear would be dry in time for the next morning's early departure. 

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Start 08:46; distance 100.59 km; moving time 06:58:10; elevation 1,291 m; 

max elevation 171 m; average speed 14.4 km/h; max speed 60.2 km/h.

12/07/2023

Another long day! But what an incredible day it was. We really are gluttons for punishment it would seem, cycling a collective 300 km + in the first 72 hours of our journey. The road to Ballaghaderreen was windy at times, with a sprinkle of rain here and there. But, thankfully for us we were blessed with mostly sunshine, keeping our spirits high. From our departure in Bundoran, to our lunch stop in Ballymote and right through to our final destination of Ballaghaderreen, we saw some spectacular views. Cycling past the majestic Benbulbin and passing through the quaint town of Sligo were two of many highlights from the day. However, the most special part of Day 3 happened just after we came over the Sligo and Roscommon border. A rendezvous at Carrentemple Cemetary had us surprised with a massive welcome crew made up of the O'Haras and the Durcans, along with other family and friends. 

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From there it was a straight shot into Ballaghaderreen (well mostly - we may or may not have made a pit stop at the famed Mulligans hardware store, known for its business in the front and delicious pints of Guinness in the back). Our gracious hosts welcomed us in with a home cooked meal, warm showers, comfy pillows to lay our heads on, and the chance to wash some of our kit in preparation for the second half of the ride. The night was full of laughter and good times, and we are very grateful for the hospitality shown to us. Next stop: Westport!

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Start 08:27; distance 91.86 km; moving time 06:13:52; elevation 741 m; 

max elevation 143 m; average speed 14.7 km/h; max speed 52.3 km/h.

13/07/2023

A few aches and pains this morning after a heavy first three days, but nothing some ibuprofen and stretching can't keep at bay. We set off from Ballaghaderreen with two additional riders in tow, bringing our group size up to a healthy eleven. The day started with a short ride to Carracastle Cemetary, where we visited and paid our respects to some of our cyclists' family and friends that have passed. We spent some time reflecting and remembering, before heading out back onto the road. With substantially less elevation and a shorter distance to cycle, we were flying through the day and making great time. We enjoyed the smaller number of steep hills while it lasted, knowing that the next day we would be facing the daunting hills of Connemara. 

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As we approached our lunch spot in the park beside the Museum of Country Life near Castlebar, we came to a barrier on what is normally an open path. with some teamwork we managed to get the bikes and the riders over safely, and were free to set up camp and enjoy a well earned lunch supplied as usual by Fionna (the sandwich queen, always making sure we had hefty and varied lunch options set up at every stop). 

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We made friends with many farm animals along the way, as well as many people that we were able to share our story and journey with. Spreading the word about amyloidosis was even easier this time around, with our handy NFC enabled wristbands that were supplied by cyclist and amyloidosis patient Mark McConway. The first 90% of the day we enjoyed fantastic weather, and it was only just outside of Westport that we were hit with the usual heavy rain shower (it was tradition at this point). This one was the heaviest yet, but we made it down the last stretch of road in high spirits. Upon our arrival, we were ready to settle into Clooneen House in Westport where we were able to partake in a luxurious soak in their hot tubs on site. With an even shorter day coming up, we took the opportunity to meet up with our latest additions to the team. 

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Start 09:37; distance 80.50 km; moving time 05:19:58; elevation 467 m; 

max elevation 162 m; average speed 15.1 km/h; max speed 50 km/h.

14/07/2023

Reality hit us hard today. The rain started on us in the morning and it didn't stop. The initial relief we felt from a shorter day was soon replaced with dismay as we made our way through the harsh weather conditions. This was definitely one of our toughest days to date, both mentally and physically due to the rain soaking us right down to the bone. Since the beginning of Journey for X, we have been quite fortunate with our weather overall. This was the wettest by far, and we definitely felt it. We managed to get through 50 km before taking refuge at Kylemore Abbey, where we sought cover and recharged. Some of us were really struggling, and the lunch break at Kylemore came at the ideal time. We warmed our frozen hands, and warmed our bellies as well with the medley of hot and delicious homemade soups that they had on offer. 

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With 22 km remaining on the day, we rallied together and managed to make it to Clifden in one piece. With the addition of two new cyclists (and two new supporters), our newly bolstered cycling party of thirteen was relieved to say the least as we approached our destination. Despite being the shortest day, this was by far the most challenging! It was cold and it was hard, but we made it in the end. Proud of everyone for their superb efforts today! And regardless of the weather, there are few places around that are quite as beautiful as Connemara. We can only imagine it would be even nicer on a sunnier day. We were very grateful to get checked into All the Twos Lodge in Clifden, and even more grateful for the excellent evening of Irish trad music that we partook in a few hours later. 

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Start 09:35; distance 70.89 km; moving time 04:31:02; elevation 726 m; 

max elevation 130 m; average speed 15.7 km/h; max speed 47.4 km/h.

15/07/2023

We're back. Unfortunately, so was the rain, and it was possibly even worse than yesterday. But this time we were ready. Well, as ready as we could be. We woke up bright and early and settled into a large breakfast spread. We stared through the massive picture windows of the dining room, watching as the rain steadily grew heavier and heavier with each passing minute. But, we weren't going to get anywhere by sitting around feeling sorry for ourselves. So we pulled up our socks, strapped on our helmets, donned our waterproofs, and hit the road. We had an additional support team member today as we were joined by our good friend Gav from Cav (named so as he is Gavin and he is from Cavan). 

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This day had all the makings of an absolute wreck. But, to our collective delight it did a total 360 and ended up being one of the most enjoyable. Taking our time with breakfast meant that we set off a bit later than originally planned. But because of this, we actually missed the brunt of the horrible weather and ended up getting away with a light sprinkling for most of it. The sun even made an appearance and brightened the day even more (literally and figuratively). On top of that, the severe wind was at our backs and not coming at us, which meant we had an extra push going forward. Coupled with the excellent and well maintained roads, we made short work of the ride and got to Galway in great time. 

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Lunch today was at the famous Quiet Man Bridge, known for its appearance in the John Wayne film "The Quiet Man." There were also many other interesting and picturesque sights to see on the road to Galway. It was a refreshing surprise of a day. When we expected it to be the most miserable, it was actually one of the most enjoyable. After checking into our respective accommodations, we looked forward to a Saturday night in Galway, where a large reunion was due to take place. Two of our cyclists that live in Galway were ending their journey here, so we made the most of our last evening with them. The day was topped off with live music at one of the local pubs, where we witnessed a touching performance of "Crazy World" - a tribute to Dublin-born Christy Dignam (lead singer of the band Aslan), who had sadly passed away from amyloidosis one month prior. Rest in Peace, Christy.

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Start 08:46; distance 82.28 km; moving time 04:08:37; elevation 511 m; 

max elevation 60 m; average speed 19.9 km/h; max speed 49.3 km/h.

16/07/2023

We made it to the final day! One last push to get us to the Cliffs of Moher, and boy were we ready to get going. We started the day with our usual team huddle. This is something we decided to do at the beginning of every day, and is used as a way to communicate any questions, concerns, and encouragements for the day. We get together in a circle, we speak some words, and we put our hands in and say Xavier's name together. It's a good way to reset and regroup, and remember that we are all here with each other with the same goal in mind: to spread awareness for amyloidosis in memory of Xavier Aguirre. Tony (Dad) led the talk this morning, where he shared some words about his son and how much it meant to have everyone here doing this in his honour. We shared some tears, put our hands in, and got ready to head to the Cliffs. 

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This day was pretty up and down (literally). We made a steady pace on the day with relative ease, with a sprinkling of steep hills every now and again. The first big test came on Corkscrew Hill, a famous winding road between Ballyvaughan and Lisdoonvarna. Known in local folklore as "Heartbreaker Hill", this one in twelve gradient hill was alleged to have caused carting horses to die on the steepest slopes as their hearts couldn't take the incline. Somehow, we all managed to get to the top. Mark McConway was particularly impressive in this feat, making light work of the difficult path. 

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We stopped for some food in Lisdoonvarna (known for it's famous matchmaking festival) and the end goal was in our sights. Our final big test of the day was the last stretch leading to the Cliffs. A steep, long climb which seemed to last forever, this one was quite difficult. The rain had reappeared, and the wind had turned on us and was hitting us full in the face. We had to dig deep, and spur each other on constantly to get us all over that line. When we finally arrived, we readied ourselves to cross the finish line together. As we approached our welcome crew at the end of the road, there was a mad rush to get there and in the excitement of the moment we managed to create a massive pileup somehow. Legs were flying, bikes were hitting the ground, bodies were landing on top of each other. There was a moment of silent shock, followed immediately by a boom of raucous laughter. What an end to a fantastic journey. We made it, and all we had left was to walk up to those Cliffs and take in the view. The skies, almost as if on cue, cleared completely and became blue as ever, with the sun shining brightly down on us. 

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Start 10:42; distance 84.69 km; moving time 05:47:33; elevation 810 m; 

max elevation 223 m; average speed 14.6 km/h; max speed 42.2 km/h.

16/07/2023

On the top of the Cliffs of Moher, we felt like we were on top of the world. Everyone joined together and we shared some words and sentiments, about the accomplishment we had just made together. Whiskeys were poured, and we toasted Xavier and the crew. And what an amazing crew it was. With the largest group to date, we were truly feeling the love on this journey. We spent some time at the top, soaking it all in. Then there was the last piece of the puzzle, which was a final 10 km bike ride down the massive hill we had just spent hours climbing. The road led to the town of Doolin, where we were to be staying the night before making our way back to home base in Ballaghaderreen for one last hurrah. We got showered and changed, headed into Doolin for some food, and had a few celebratory Guinness before settling in for the night and getting ready for the road back the next morning. 

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In Ballaghaderreen we again joined the rest of the squad, and spent an evening (and part of a morning) singing and celebrating. The following morning we began to part ways, with everyone making their respective journeys home. This was our most successful year yet, and we were completely overwhelmed by how welcome we were made to feel in the wonderful country of Ireland. The food was fantastic, the sights were unreal, and the people were even better. Every person we met along our way was so friendly and accommodating, and most importantly they were willing to hear our story and support our cause. From local newspapers to radio stations, to the many Irish celebrities that sent us video messages showing their support, we thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. 

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Total: moving time 40:48:04; distance 621.81 km; elevation gain 5,897 m.