On the 6th September a small group of eager yet somewhat naive novice cyclists gathered together in West Cork to prepare for the beginning of an adventure. With the weeks previous unleashing injury upon injury on us, mixed with Covid fears, we breathed deeply in a cosy pub in Schull, not quite believing we had made it this far. That evening we fuelled on carbs, and laughed nervously about what lay ahead.

In 2017, our dear friend and Solas Project Co-founder Graham Jones, considered embarking on a cycle from Mizen Head to Malin Head. If you knew Graham, you know he could convince you into anything before you knew what was happening! This is how we found ourselves the following morning, embarking from a breezy Mizen head to begin propelling ourselves up the length of the island of Ireland. We had no doubt that if Graham were to attempt this cycle he would have done so with a lot of heart, and little preparation. And while we did attempt to put in some training, and found ourselves a top-notch support crew, we did our best to replicate just that.

As we glided up the Mizen peninsula we quickly found our groove as a team,and were pleasantly surprised by how our strengths complemented each other. Naturally, people found their ways of supporting each other, whether through navigation, encouragement, laughter, or food! It is hard even now not to smile while remembering the camaraderie and support we offered to each other from the get go, as well as the antics and craic!

Each morning we began with a thought that we could then reflect on throughout the day as we cycled. With Graham as our inspiration, we talked about what it means to us to live a flourishing life, we chatted about identity and friendship and team. Graham came up often in these conversations as we remembered the positive ways he impacted our lives.

Continuing our journey through the counties, we were overcome by the generosity of our cheerleaders donations, as well as the gifts from random strangers we passed along the way. At petrol stations, in town squares, in the middle of the road(!!!), people called us over to give us donations towards our cause, Solas Project. In both Cork and Galway, we anticipated a driver was beckoning us over to moan about our nuisance on the road, only to be melted as they placed cash firmly in our hand (…don’t worry we had hand sanitiser at the ready!).

As we panted over undulating hills, meandered traffic filled cities, and sailed along stunning coastlines, we chatted, sang, laughed or cried depending on how the day was going! At times we sang ‘Ireland’s Call’, or to the delight of some and dismay of others, quoted Yeats to inspire us up the next incline. But whatever the day, and whoever the teammate that happened beside you on a given stretch, encouraging conversation and welcome distraction were always to hand. And if that was a miss someone was likely to belt out a chorus of our altered VengaBoys tune ‘We Like to Cycle’ to motivate you along!

During the week we began a team bonding event of sea swimming - again to the great delight of some, and dismay of others. Under the guise of muscle relief, we managed to coax every member of our team into the icy sea of Enniscrone! This tradition was made all the more special by the arrival of friends along the way. In Donegal we were joined by Graham’s wife, Louise and her girls who could not be dissuaded from running into the sea with us. It was such a boost to our tired bodies to see the smiling faces of the extended Jones family as we arrived in Letterkenny, and a pure delight to have them with us as we completed the journey.

Although the last day did not go as we had anticipated, with a crosswind taking some of dear friends off course, we paused for the night. Once assured that their injuries were being looked after, and with their blessing, the following morning we took back to the road to begin our final ascent to Malin Head. Albeit the final hill was one of the steepest of the journey, we managed to push our way up largely motivated by our screaming supporters. With sighs of delighted disbelief we took in our surroundings and breathed deep the magnificent headland.

It is difficult to describe the support we felt from people around the country cheering us on. We are so chuffed and overwhelmed to have raised over €20,000 in donations. Through our own personal involvement with Solas Project we have come to really value the incredible work they do and couldn’t be more delighted to support this worthy cause.

If you would like to donate to the cause you still can here.

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Mizen to Malin Cycle in Memory of Graham Jones