Cycle Tour of Ireland

Wednesday 16 November 2011

Total now at £6,573.50

£6,573.50.......brillant.

With the sponsorship monies still coming in I have decided to keep the sponsorship web site open until the end of December 2011. If you haven’t sponsored me yet and would like to please use the link on this web page to enable you to part with your hard earned cash.

Many many thanks everyone who has sponsored me so far. You have all been very generous.

Ian

Wednesday 26 October 2011

Finally ...... THE BUMP......

..... has arrived.

Beccy and I are very happy to announce the arrival of Oscar Gault into the world on Saturday 22nd October 2011.
The tour will live on in his name........

Beccy and Darcy looking very happy with Oscar

Friday 21 October 2011

Total Sponsorship Money Raised £6101.00

Stage 01
Bellavally Gap

MAGNIFICENT we have been able to raise over £6000.00 for Omagh's local branches of Leonard Cheshire Disability and Multiple Sclerosis Society. Many many thanks to everyone who has supported me on my challange and kindly sponsored me. You have been very generous.

A heart felt thanks from me and all the people who will benifit from the help the charities will now be able to give them.

If anyone is still interested in parting with their hard earned cash the sponsorship web site will be open for one more week.

Stage 21
Let the Dance Begin
Sculpture by Maurice Harron
At the boarder between Lifford & Strabane

P.S. The bump is still a bump (due date 12th Oct.) ......... any hour now it is going to pop out to let us know if it's a boy or a girl. ☺ Must go.........

Leonard Cheshire Disability (LCD)
http://www.lcdisability.org/?lid=4088

Omagh LCD, Get Going Disability Resourse Centre
http://www.lcdisability.org/?lid=16700

Multiple Sclerosis Society
http://www.mssociety.org.uk/ms-support

Monday 3 October 2011

Media Exposure 03

'Article from Tyrone Constitution September 2011'
Many thanks to Ciara Maguire for writing the article.

Anyone who is still interested, it will be possible to sponsor me at www.virginmoneygiving.com for a few more weeks (trying to raise £6K.....cyrrently at £5,742.50). A heartfelt thanks from my Mum, other MS sufferers and me to all the people who have sponsored me so far.

Monday 26 September 2011

Media Exposure 02

'Article from Portadown Times 23-09-11'
Many thanks to Partick Van Dort for writing the article.

Thursday 15 September 2011

Media Exposure

So far....

Many thanks to the Tyrone Constitution and Ulster Herald for including articles on the sponsored cycle challenge.

If you wish to provide my sponsored cycle challenge with more media exposure, to help raise as much money as possible for the Multiple Sclerosis Society and Leonard Cheshire Disability, please contact me at ian.liverpool@googlemail.com

...... I FINISHED

Success ......... brilliant I finished. Standing in front of the Strule Arts Centre, Omagh
Wednesday 14th September 2011.

http://www.struleartscentre.co.uk/

Sponsorship:

Many thanks to everyone for their support and sponsorship. You have been very generous. So far the sponsorship currently totals :

Online: £3,716.25

Of line: £1,500.00

Total: £5,216.25 (so far)

All the money raised will be donated to the Omagh branches of Leonard Cheshire Disability and Multiple Sclerosis Society, both charities have supported my Mum and other Multiple Sclerosis sufferers over the years.

If anyone else feels this is a good cause and wishes to sponsor me or those of you who are still planning to “get around to it” (to quote a few people out there) it will still be possible for the next couple of weeks to donate via:

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/cycletourofireland

The Tour:
On October 2001 I started fund raising for Multiple Sclerosis by running the New York Marathon. Ten years later, and after a few years of talking about a new challenge and many hours of organising, the cycle tour of Ireland started on the 22^nd of August 2011 from my Mum’s house in Omagh. Co. Tyrone.

Over the next 20 days I would cycle through all 32 counties north and south of

Ireland

. In chronological order these were:

Fermanagh, Sligo, Letrim, Longford, Roscommon, Mayo. Galway, Clare, Tipperary (north), Limerick, Kerry, Cork, Waterford, Tipperary (south), Wexford, Kilkenny, Carlow, Wicklow, Dublin, Naas, Laois, Offaly, Westmeath, Meath, Cavan, Monaghan, Armagh, Louth, Down, Antrim, Londonderry, Donegal and Tyrone.

The main towns / cities I would cycle through were:

Sligo, Carrick-on-Shannon, Longford, Rosscommon, Castebar, Galway, Ennis, Nenagh, Limerick, Trelee, Killarney, Cork, Comel, Waterford, Wicklow, Kilkenny, Carlow, Wicklow, Dublin, Naas, Kildare, Portlaoise, Tullimore, Mullingar, Navan, Cavan, Monaghan, Armagh, Dundalk, Downpatrick, Belfast, Antrim, Derry, Lifford and Omagh

Completed Tour

To be honest it is hard to believe I have already finished my cycle tour of Ireland challenge. It all seems to have gone past in a flash.

A few quirky facts about the tour:

-Total distance cycled was 1,495miles / 2,407km … equivalent distance would be cycling from Omagh, Co.Tyrone to Barcelona (or London to the south of Spain).
-Average 75miles per day ... equivalent to cycling from Omagh to Hollywood, Co. Down every day.
-A total of 107 hours in the saddle ... equivalent of flying from London to Melbourne 5 times (22hrs one way).

More words and photos to be added shortly.

Punctures – Final Count:

Over the last few weeks I have been on road finishes varying from smooth asphalt to sharp stones / glass / hedge cutting with thorns / pot holes etc and I am happy to report I have had NO punctures ….. yes that’s correct…. NONE.

This is thanks to Bontrager: H4 Hard Case Plus, Triple Flat Protection Tyres. Probably the best tyre for cycling around

Ireland

The only notable puncture was in Michael’s air bed. Not a happy bunny.

Thanks:

Thanks to everyone who has sponsored me so far and Michael for coming over and upping the cycling tempo over Stages 16 to 19. A much needed boost.

Last but not least……..many thanks to Beccy (+bump) & Darcy for their great support team work every day of the tour. Amazing stamina. The tour would not have come to a successful conclusion without you. Many thanks and lots of love.

Ian

STAGE 21 - Co.Londonderry, Donegal & Tyrone

Start of the final stage of the tour.....Stage 21

The best support team on the island of Ireland, Beccy Brown (+bump) and Darcy.

The charity training tops I have worn during the tour.

Leonard Cheshire Disability
&
Multiple Sclerosis Society

Beccy (+bump) and Darcy writing in Benone beach sand.

Stage 21 Map

Start: Co. Londonderry, Benone Tourist Complex

Via; Co. Londonderry, Derry

Via; Co. Donegal, Lifford

Finish: Co. Tyrone, Omagh

Stats

Date: Wednesday 14^th September 2011

Time (in saddle): 4hrs 37min

Distance: 67miles

At Derry T.I.O. I met Elene Michaelides who stamped and signed my stage 21 map.
She and the rest of the team also sponsored me £12.35. Thanks very much.

Entering Lifford and at County Donegal Council Offices

The team I used to play footy for 20 years ago, Mountjoy United F.C. Great to see the portacabin changing rooms have been replaced by a proper club house. The best of luck in the season ahead.

In the pouring rain I arrive at the final county town of Omagh (home).

We made it .......brilliant.
Me, Beccy (+bump), Mum and Darcy at Omagh Strule Arts Centre.

http://www.struleartscentre.co.uk/upcoming_events/box_office/index.asp

Would you believe it there was a welcome party to greet us! They include (back row right to left) Alan Shankland, Colette Given, Pamela McCleland, Rosemary Clements, me and Beccy Brown. Mum and Darcy.
Thanks very much for making the effort to come along, we really appreciate it.

STAGE 20 - Co.Antrim

Start of Stage 20 at Finaghy, Belfast.
With Stage 19 being aborted due to the 75mph wind, my mate Keith, his wife Judith and their kids Calin, Mia and Lana kindly let us stay at their house in Finaghy for the evening. Many thanks for your hospitality and the great food (Keith great to see your cooking has improved).

Stage 20 Map

Start: Co. Down, Finaghy, Belfast

Via: Co. Antrim, Antrim

Finish: Co. Londonderry, Benone Tourist Complex

Stats

Date: Tuesday 13^th September 2011

Time (in saddle): 4hrs 42min

Distance: 60miles

Leaving Belfast and at the top of Hannahstown Hill road. One of the steepest climbs on the tour.
The view over Belfast was worth it (but the weather doesn't do the photo justice).

Further on from Hannahstown Hill I ended up on part of the Ulster Grand Prix circuit, an added unexpected bonus. 15 years or so ago I used to go to the races with my Uncle Jim. Great memories.

Circuit
http://www.ulstergrandprix.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=131&Itemid=125

Intro. to Ulster Grand Prix
http://www.ulstergrandprix.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=139&Itemid=27

The main towns I passed through on my cycle today.

Statue in Coleraine town centre of Bertie Peacock, the co-founder of the N.Ireland Milk Cup International youth football tournament.

http://www.nimilkcup.org/

Stage 20 cycle was cut short by 10 miles at Coleraine due to it getting dark, heavy rain and a very energetic Darcy needing some serious play time.

STAGE 19 - Abandoned due to 75mph winds

Start of Stage 19:
N.Ireland weather forecast for today warned that the after effects of Hurricane Katia would arrive at Co. Down and Antrim in the afternoon. We decide to give the stage a go and see how far we can cycle.

Stage 19 Map

Start: Co. Down, Delamont Country Park

Finish: Belfast

Stage Abandoned due to 75mph winds

Stats

Date: Monday 12^th September 2011

Time (in saddle): 2hrs 8min

Distance: 28miles

Scrabo Tower, Newtownards, Co. Down.

http://scrabotower.com/scrabo-tower.html

N.Ireland doesn't win much in footy, so when they beat England in 2005, it was a significant moment in the team's history. The event has been recorded on a gable wall on the Newtownards Road.