Iconic sports event Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle will help tackle homelessness
Olympic silver medalist Annalise Murphy gearing up to cycle the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle this July, in aid of Focus Ireland. To register for the event, select Focus Ireland at ringofkerrycycle.ie
The Ring of Kerry is the place to be next month to test your fitness and to support charities including Focus Ireland.
And participants will be in good company — if you can keep up — as Olympic silver medal winning athlete Annalise Murphy has signed up to take part in the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle... a 170-kilometre cycle on July 6.
The 34 year old who has been making waves in the competitive cycling world since retiring from full time sailing following the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, says she signed up for the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle and selected Focus Ireland as her charity of choice because she wants to do something to help address the rising homelessness crisis now affecting thousands of people in Ireland.
Official Department of Housing figures show that a record total of 13,866 people living in Ireland are now homeless. This includes 4,147 children and 1,981 families. These figures show a 16% increase on the same time last year and account only for people who are accessing emergency accommodation. They do not include people who are rough sleeping or staying in temporary accommodation such as domestic violence refuges, or people staying with family or friends in insecure housing who are experiencing ‘hidden homelessness'.
Annalise said that taking part in the iconic Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle is her way of getting involved and doing something to help address the crisis, by raising funds for Focus Ireland's vital homeless services: “The homelessness crisis is an issue that just can’t be ignored and taking part in the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle provides an opportunity for me to help end homelessness, by supporting Focus Ireland in their efforts to prevent homelessness and provide homes for people experiencing homelessness."
Cycling the Ring of Kerry is both a challenge and a unique lifetime experience. It is a recreational rather than competitive cycling event and Annalise says she plans to treat the cycle as part of her training for a race she's due to compete in the following day.
In general, participants are encouraged to cycle at their own pace with time to enjoy the beauty of the Ring of Kerry and the Wild Atlantic Way.
“Cycling the Ring of Kerry is a challenge for anyone and it’s a route I’ve never cycled in full before. Focus Ireland is challenging homelessness and changing lives every day so I’m looking forward to rising to that challenge and would encourage as many cyclists as possible to join me on the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle on Saturday July 6, and to choose Focus Ireland when registering. We can all play our part in ending homelessness,” the sailing and cycling star said.
This is the first year in the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle’s 42-year history that Focus Ireland has been selected as a main beneficiary charity, in recognition of the need to address the surging homelessness crisis. Up to 5,000 cyclists are expected to take part in the event this year and Focus Ireland, with the support of Annalise Murphy, aims to recruit 1,000 of those participants to sign up in aid of the charity and cycle in its name on Saturday July 6.
Focus Ireland fundraising manager and Westport Covey Wheelers leisure cyclist, Lorraine Toner, also plans to take part in the 170-kilometre cycling event. She said the charity aims to raise €200,000 for its homeless services through the fundraising event.
Lorraine explained that each main beneficiary charity receives around 75% of every participant’s €100 registration fee when they sign up in aid of that charity. The percentage given to each charity will increase or decrease depending on the overall number of cyclists registered for the event in each charity’s name: “If each cyclist who signed up raised an additional €100, Focus Ireland could benefit from more than €200,000 to continue its vital, life- changing work with families experiencing homelessness.
Welcoming Focus Ireland onboard the event as a main beneficiary charity, Bridget McGuire of the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle 2024 organising committee said: “We are delighted to support Focus Ireland, for the first time this year, as one of the Cycle’s Main Beneficiary Charities and we are thrilled to see participants like Olympic silver medallist Annalise Murphy signing up to take part in the event. We are particularly proud of the fact that the Charity’s founder, Sister Stanislaus Kennedy, is originally from Lispole (Lis Pól) on our neighbouring Kerry peninsula and we are immensely proud of all the work she has done throughout her life to address important social issues. Homelessness, in particular, is an issue that is now affecting record numbers of people across the country and we want to support Focus Ireland in their efforts to end homelessness. We look forward to seeing many cyclists challenge the issue in the name of Focus Ireland, by joining the thousands cycling the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle 2024 for their Charity of choice this July.”
The Ring Of Kerry Charity Cycle starts and ends in Killarney and since the inaugural cycle in 1982 it has raised more than €19 million for 160 charity and voluntary community organisations.
Other charities to benefit this year include Irish Cancer Society, St Francis Special School, Brú Columbanus, Comfort for Chemo, and Breakthrough Cancer Research.
Another upcoming Focus Ireland challenge is On The Move — an outdoor adventure challenge taking place from Friday, June 14 - Sunday, June 16. Participants are asked climb a famous Irish mountain such as Croagh Patrick or Carrauntoohil in aid of Focus Ireland, or set themselves a hiking challenge of their choice.
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