Picture: Valerie O’Sullivan
THE weather did its best to play spoilsport, with miserable conditions along much of the route, but there was still a great sense of achievement obvious on the faces of participants who crossed the finish line, tired and sore but satisfied, after the Ring of Kerry charity cycle.
An estimated 9,000 cyclists hit the road for the gruelling 180km pedal marathon and, despite the driving rain and difficult winds, the vast majority made it back to Killarney unscathed.
There were some accidents along the route but medical professionals and first aid personnel were on the scene to administer whatever treatment was required.
There was no shortage of celebrity faces on the day with Colm Cooper seeing the cyclists off on their journey at 7.00am and former Olympic and world champion athlete Sonia O’Sullivan, former Taoiseach Enda Kenny, former minister Jimmy Deenihan and RTÉ’s Southern Editor Paschal Sheehy all hitting the road.
With more than €11.9 million raised to date, this year’s beneficiaries will be Down Syndrome Kerry, Kerry Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre, Valentia Hospital, Kerry Parents and Friends Buy A Bus Campaign, Talbot Grove, Camp Hill Dingle, Rathmore Social Action, Inbhear Sceine Inshore Rescue, Temple Street Hospital and Recovery Haven Kerry.
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