Diocesan News
Belfast to Dublin–Mount Merrion cyclists cross the finish line
Mount Merrion’s Revd Adrian Green and his team have just completed a fundraising bike ride from Belfast to Dublin, a distance of 134 miles.
As we go to press they have raised over £2500 for three very good causes.
Adrian explains how they came to make the journey to Dublin on two wheels instead of the usual four and how, in a manner of speaking, they finished back where they started!
“It all began with a throw away comment about doing a bike ride from Mount Merrion Parish (Belfast) to Mount Merrion Parish (Dublin) in order to help with our building fund. I never really intended for it to happen until my kids bought me a road bike for Christmas and then there was no backing out.”
Adrian decided to go for it on 23–24 June 2017 and three others from the church staff team agreed to join in: Revd Lucy Burden (Deacon Intern), Joe Green (CAP Manager) and Aaron Boyce (Worship and Community Outreach Pastor).
None of the four had any experience of cycling and with a busy start to the year, training didn’t start until March.
Around that time Jessica, a little baby in the congregation, died at 17 weeks old from a life limiting condition called Trisomy 13. The team then decided to widen the scope of the fundraising to include the neonatal unit at the Ulster Hospital who had provided such excellent care for Jessica, and the Belfast based charity No More Traffik, which works towards putting an end to human trafficking.
On a drizzly and windy Friday morning the four set off from Mount Merrion Parish Church (Belfast). With three punctures and a few refreshment stops along the route they covered 101 miles before reaching their overnight stop in Drogheda.
On the Saturday morning they completed the last 33 miles to Mount Merrion Parish Church in south Dublin where they were greeted by the Rector, Revd Gillian Wharton, and some parishioners of both churches. The team were then treated to a lovely lunch before heading back to Belfast; by car this time!
Adrian says: “Having completed 134 miles in just under 11 hours cycling, we had a great sense of achievement but more importantly, joy at the amount of money raised. We’d like to thank everyone who has so generously supported us.”
For further information please contact:
Diocesan Communications Officer, Down & Dromore
07840 006899
Mrs Annette McGrath
dco@downdromorediocese.org