My name is John Joe Murphy and I am a firefighter in Bunclody Fire Station. I am setting out to complete a charity cycle in aid of Aoibheann’s Pink Tie which is a charity that helps families who are fighting through Childhood Cancer. They provide accommodation for the families going through the most difficult time of their life. Annually, the charity spends on average of 120,000 euro providing this accommodation in hotels around Dublin. We, as firefighters, are looking to raise money for the charity to build 2 townhouses and an apartment in Dublin city centre.

Last year I took part in the first cycle which included 60 Irish firefighters and 45 New York firefighters and we cycled from Phoenix Park in Dublin to Kinsale in Cork . We managed to raise in excess of 215,000 euros to split between 2 amazing charities. The American charity is Friends of Firefighters which is a counselling service that was set up to help families and friends of firefighters who lost their lives in the terrible attacks on 9/11. 343 FDNY firefighters lost their lives that day.

This year we are participating in the cycle again which will take us from Newcastle West in Limerick, down through Kerry (including the Ring of Kerry) and out to finish in Kinsale, Co Cork again. This is 410km cycle which will be done over 4 days in September 2025. For anyone that is into cycling, the elevation gain on this cycle is 12,150ft.

For this incredible event I am asking for your help to raise some much needed funds for this amazing charity. If you would be willing to help, I thank you very much in advance.

John Joe