Not everyone who is afraid of heights would consider jumping out of a plane. Not everyone who would jump out of a plane would try taking a photo & posting it to Twitter while descending from a few thousand feet.
I was keeping a eye on the event via Twitter on a bus from Dublin to Galway & I got some shock when I saw the photo of 2 feet dangling way above the green fields of the midlands.
Contendor for most awesomest Twitter pic ever? Surely. Should Darragh start attending Twitterholics Anonymus? Possibly. The craziest, most ‘up for anything’, generous person you could possibly ever meet? Absolutely.
That crazy mofo is going to jump out of a plane on Saturday for his sins, mainly polluting Twitter with horrendously bad jokes.
In the process he’s raising money for Care Local – www.carelocal.ie – who assist older people to remain living in their own homes, with dignity, security and company, for as long as possible, and to ensure they remain in good health, both mentally and physically.
So come on, even if it’s just the price of your morning latte or Friday evening pints, it’s all welcome & going to a really good cause.
Club members including Brendan Gleeson launch the 09 event
Never a dull moment down at home it seems these days! This weekend the annual Burren Marathon Challenge is taking place in my native Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare. Last year over 1,000 people took part in the event and this year they are expecting around 1,500.
The event is hosted & organised by the Ballyvaughan Fanore Walking Club which has grown its membership of 13 to 130 since being founded in 2006. There are 3 different routes to choose from and you can walk/jog/run whichever you feel up to:
Half Marathon (13 miles & participants must be over 16yrs)
Full Marathon (26 miles & participants must be over 16yrs)
It’s a fantastic chance to get some fresh Atlantic air into the lungs while taking in some truly amazing scenery. Unfortunately registration closed last week & there won’t be any further registrations made for this year’s event but keep an eye on the Ballyvaughan Fanore Walking Club website for info on their frequent organised walks around north Clare & south Galway. If you are taking part in the marathon this weekend, the very best of luck & don’t forget the hiking boots!
Views on the walk
And for anyone around the area this Saturday, a BBQ and a few sociables will be had in Logues Lodge, Ballyvaughan that evening with entertainment provided by my cousins from Aran, The Mulkerrin Brothers.
As luck would have it, too many things fell upon the one weekend & I couldn’t make the journey down home for the Siege of Ennis world record attempt in aid of Special Olympics Ireland. Talking to my dad last night he said the weather on the day was absolutely awful as you will see from the video. But fair play to the 5,000+ that turned up and gave it socks on such a miserable wet day!
Props to my little first cousin Sean Keane who can be seen stepping it out in his lovely blue & gold uniform (and ocassionally wearing an Obama baseball cap!) on the podium above the crowd
You can still make a donation to the Special Olympics via the event website by clicking here.
So it’s the perfect (or closest to perfect evening you’ll get for May) evening for a BBQ and as luck would have it there’s a lovely free one happening this evening in Dublin. Here’s the story (robbed from Darragh’s post):
“Jane Russell from Jane Russell’s Original Irish Handmade Sausages is kicking off the summer in style with a bit of food, chat, drink and of course some sausage samples from 7.30pm in the roof garden of the Odessa Club.”
For those unsure of where the Odessa Club is or how to find it, here’s a wee map. Be seeing you there later!
Saturday’s Tea Day for Alzheimers
I spent Saturday in Dundalk at my dear friend AnneMarie’s place where she held her 5th annual tea day to raise funds for local Alzheimers carers and patients. We had people coming and going from 11am till 10pm, the tea flowed, gorgeous home baking delights kept us buzzing & the chat was fantastic. Aside from the fund-raising benefits, it was a wonderful social occasion and gave people a chance to catch up and spend some time with each other. The day raised a tasty €1300 with another few quid to come in from folks who couldn’t make it on the day. I’m dead proud of her & can’t wait to do it all again next year!
Free BBQ tonight
I spent Saturday in Dundalk at my dear friend AnneMarie’s place where she held her 5th annual tea day to raise funds for local Alzheimers carers and patients. We had people coming and going from 11am till 10pm, the tea flowed, gorgeous home baking delights kept us buzzing & the chat was fantastic. Aside from the fund-raising benefits, it was a wonderful social occasion and gave people a chance to catch up and spend some time with each other. The day raised a tasty €1300 with another few quid to come in from folks who couldn’t make it on the day. I’m dead proud of her & can’t wait to do it all again next year!