Stars saddle up for round trip of Republic

Personalities from across a broad spectrum of Irish life yesterday took to their bikes to aid a suicide awareness charity.

Roz Purcell, Bressie, Brent Pope, PJ Gallagher, and Colm Hayes set off from Wicklow on a round trip of the Republic, taking in all of the coastal and border counties.

Organisers described the Cycle Against Suicide as Europe’s biggest charity cycle awareness event.

Covering 1,400km over 14 days, it is aimed at highlighting and tackling the problems of suicide.

The idea was developed by successful entrepreneur and international businessman, Kerry-born Jim Breen. His objective is to help raise awareness of the considerable help and support available for anyone battling depression, at risk of suicide, or those coping with the loss of loved ones due to suicide.

The event continues throughout Wexford and Waterford today and arrive in Cork City and county tomorrow.

Mr Breen, founder of PulseLearning Ltd and TriGrandPrix Ltd, devised the initiative following the screening of a TV documentary The Secret Millionaire, which featured him visiting a suicide awareness group. “We are cycling around Ireland, shoulder to shoulder, in our hundreds and thousands, to help break the cycle of suicide in Ireland,” he said.

The cyclists and their support crews arrive in Kerry on Thursday and depart on Friday for a weekend in Clare and Galway. The cycle is due to end in Dublin on Sunday week.

Meanwhile, in a separate event, a group of Cork cyclists is gearing up for a 32-county biking marathon in an attempt to raise funds for Console, the national suicide prevention and bereavement charity.

Wearing bright pink shirts, the 10 members of the “Hardy Bucks Cycling Squad” will hit the road next week on the first leg of their eight-day, 1,100km odyssey, which will see them visit several parts of Cork including Youghal, Midleton, Killeagh and Cork City, as well as every county in the country.

The team includes two Cork GPs, Michael Crotty and Tom English, who chose the squad’s pink cycling shirts.

“As a practicing GP, I feel that men’s struggle to communicate on a meaningful level contributes to the prevalence of male suicide,” said Dr Crotty. “I want to encourage men to connect more with their feminine side and that’s why we’re wearing pink jerseys.”

* cycleagainstsuicide.com