Peter Ryan and Seán Hahessy have completed the epic 2,157km race and raised €54,000 for two families from their home region.
Peter Ryan, Seán Hahessy epic Race Around Ireland
Anyone with even a passing interest in cycling will be familiar with Peter Ryan's story, though it, if course, transcends cycling.
He was diagnosed with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) nine years ago. It's a rare genetic disorder resulting in substantial sight loss.
The Upperchurch-Drombane man played Dr Harty Cup hurling for three years for Thurles CBS. And in 2008 he featured in the All-Ireland (Croke Cup) final against De La Salle, Waterford.
Because of his condition his playing days were no longer possible and he lost his way for a while, seeking solace in the pub as many probably would.
But then he relaunched himself as a paracyclist. And with international road rider Seán Hahessy as his sighted pilot, he competed at the Paralympics in Rio 2016.
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Not content with a successful international paracycling career, Ryan and Hahessy have just finished the Race Around Ireland.
And in the process they've raised €54,000 for the Doran and Gleeson families in Tipperary whose children have been sadly affected by very serious illness.
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Ryan as an ambassador for the An Post Cycle Series. The duo, now Race Around Ireland finishers, competing in Brazil two years ago for Ireland.
Ryan and Hahessy aimed to raise €50,000. But they've exceeded that target and the figure continues to climb, as you'll see here.
They left Trim last Sunday and have completed the 2,157km ultracycling event in 122 hours and 33 minutes.
"I’ve welled up about 14 times since last Sunday,” said Ryan. “This isn’t a race so much as a voyage of discovery. And it’s impossible to compare it to anything else I’ve ever done.
“I’m so pleased we’ve done it and I’d recommend it to anyone. But I’m not sure I’d do it again.”
Hahessy said the length of the race only truly sunk in when it began to get dark on the opening day.
And he praised the crew supporting them for the last week after they’ve completed their rider; the first for a paracyclist in the event.
“As soon as it started to get dark on day one I thought, ‘my God, four days to go’,” he said.
“But we paced ourselves and we had a great team around us. We wouldn’t have had a hope of getting around without them.
“They kept us on it the whole time. We just rode the bikes; they were awake way longer and did everything for us.”
The duo not only completed the event, but did so on a course that included Mamore Gap and St Patrick’s Hill; two climbs not many would attempt on a tandem.
Hahessy also said he had not done any specific training for the event, relying instead on his condition from the season.
He has completed for Viner-Caremark-Pactimo in the domestic peloton and with Peter Ryan in the green of Ireland on the international paracycling circuit.
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