John Marjot Fundraises for Children of the Dump

Cycling the ‘The Wild Atlantic Way’ -John Marjot

‘The Wild Atlantic Way’ has a certain romantic allure, bringing to mind images of fierce storms, terrible winds and driving rain. The Irish Republic inaugurated this, ‘the longest defined coastal touring route in the world’, in 2014, a complete marketing stroke of genius. It follows the west coast of Ireland, beginning in Derry (Londonderry, to the Northern Irish) in County Donegal, and ending at Kinsale in County Cork.
Having recently retired, and also having a very supportive wife (the two best things to ever happen to me), I decided to cycle the 2,500 kilometres of this highway, and to seek sponsorship whilst doing so for the benefit of Children of the Dump, a charity which my family and colleagues have been supporting for many years.
I have to admit that another reason to embark on this unsupported cycle tour was the polite refusal of my youngest son to my request to accompany him and his friend, on their journey in 2016 from Lima in Peru to Ushuaia in Patagonia by bike! He was probably quite right to have done so. The Donegal hills were enough to exhaust me in the first week of my own adventure, the Andes might have finished me off a long time before I had the opportunity to wheel my laden bike from the Holyhead to Dublin ferry at the beginning of May this year!
Having begun the journey in suitably cold and wet conditions in Donegal my luck, and that of the rest of Ireland, changed quite suddenly and, to the amazement of the whole country, they and I enjoyed some of the finest May and June weather on record. The ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ became the ‘Benign Atlantic Way’, and I got sunburnt! It was a remarkable and unforgettable journey for me. A slow lazy sojourn through the most spectacular, and historic scenery of this amazing island, and generous friends and family have helped me raise over £2500, one pound for each kilometre I rode.

John did complete the epic journey and raised a total of £3,157.65

Thank you, John, from all of the Trustees, staff and students of Children of the Dump. We followed your journey with admiration.