Family and friends across Northern Ireland and the Republic have organised a seven-day cycle covering 900kms in memory of a Castleblayney woman who passed away from breast cancer.
Amanda Boylan (nee Duffy) passed away in July 2022 in Long Island, New York, before being laid to rest back home in Co Monaghan.
The cyclists will be raising much-needed funds for four charities – Temple Street Children’s Hospital, Dublin, The Royal Belfast Children’s Hospital, the Castleblayney Cancer Society and the Saturday Club for special needs children and adults.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to support the event, with just shy of €1,000 having been raised so far.
The journey starts on May 26 in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, before heading on to Sligo town, Co Sligo and Achill Island, Co Mayo.
From there they will be heading towards Clifden, Co Galway, to Ennis, Co Clare and onto Cahir, Co Tipperary.
The cyclists will then push on to Mullingar, Co Westmeath, before heading back to Amanda’s home town of Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, on June 1.
Amanda had been living in America when she received her diagnosis. Her brother, Padraic Duffy, together with a cousin, set up a GoFundMe page to help her with the cost of treatment.
Family and friends at home and in America reached out with their support to help get her the best treatment possible.
She fought cancer for three years and underwent an operation to get it removed. Unfortunately, the cancer came back and spread.
Speaking to Armagh I, Padraic, who lives in Portadown, explained: “I was very close to my sister Amanda and talked to her day and night. It was so hard for the family that we were not able to be by her side all the time. We went over when we were able to – three weeks before Amanda passed away on July 9, 2022.
“She said to me she would have loved to be able to give something back, so from that day on, I said to myself, I will give Amanda that wish.
“I started organising in January 2024 – the charity cycle in Amanda’s name and memory – with family and friends.
“We picked the children’s charities as Amanda worked with kids all her life and loved her job. This means the world to me to get this over the finish line in memory of Amanda and to be able to help these charities in some way.”
You can follow the 2024 Charity Cycle journey on Facebook. Donations to the campaign can be made through GoFundMe.
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