Veteran Kildorrery cyclists prepare to embark on 1,000Km trek in support of Ukraine support programme
Kildorrery’s Eddie and Annie Quinn, with a combined age of 147, are embarking upon a month-long fundraising challenge to cycle around Ireland. The couple will set off next Wednesday and will be cycling over 1,000 kilometres to raise funds for GOAL and its Ukraine support programme, which is based out of Lviv in Western Ukraine.
At 74 and 73 respectively, Eddie and Annie are well-seasoned travellers, having pedalled their way to Iceland and India, the Netherlands and France, and reported on their travels for these pages. Their latest venture has them planning a cross-country trek for the most current and high-profile of international tragedies.
“As with so many people lately, the conflict in Ukraine caught our attention,” said Eddie Quinn, “and we felt we had to do something. There’s lots of great causes in need of support, but I think the images coming out of Ukraine made it impossible for us to ignore.
Images of devastation and the dreadful situation that people are in, were in front of our eyes every night - we couldn’t avoid it.”
Mr Quinn points to the ‘good age’ of the pair, and how it might inspire others to have a go themselves.
“We’ve completed a number of long-distance cycles in Europe. We were thinking of our next trip this summer and decided to make it a fundraising drive for Ukraine. We thought the fact that we’re a good age might lead people to support more. It might also help people of any age to realise that they can do something like that themselves. We feel that a story like this has the chance to touch people’s hearts - this old couple willing to do this to try and help people in need!”
The conflict in Ukraine has resulted in the displacement of over 12 million people since late February. As part of its humanitarian response, GOAL delivered vital first aid kits, food kits and other essentials to those affected within Ukraine and are currently the only Irish aid agency registered to operate in Ukraine. With an operational base in Lviv, GOAL will provide cash and voucher assistance, legal advice, and psychosocial support to internally displaced people in the eastern part of the country and will quickly expand its programme to Western Ukraine.
PREPARED ‘COME RAIN, WIND OR SHINE’
Eddie and Annie are finalising their planned route and are anticipating conditions they may encounter on the trip, planning their start from home in Kildorrery, then heading to Limerick, up the west coast towards Derry and Belfast, and down the east coast through Waterford and back home. They will be looking at 50 kilometres each day for four weeks, and expect to do 1,000 kilometres in total, “come rain, wind or shine.”
“We always look for the safest road that we can, but that isn’t always possible. There will be roads with fast traffic, rough or hilly terrain, trucks, tractors, cows and what have you. One way or another, we’ll raise some money for this great cause. In the end that is what it’s all about - to help people in Ukraine whose homes are being destroyed.”
Support can be made for the Quinn’s fundraising cycle through GOAL at https://goal-ukraineappeal.raisely.com/eddieanniequinn