This year’s event will take place on Saturday August 14 with the sign-in taking place in Heraty’s lounge and bar, Drummin, Westport, at 11am and Drummin Church at 12.30pm for the five-mile children’s event.
This year’s event is broken up into four leisure stages, five miles, 10 miles, 36 miles, and 82 miles. The five-mile mini stage is aimed at national school children. Places for the five-mile mini stage are very limited. The five-mile mini Sheeffry Challenge is new this year and is aimed at children aged 13 years and under; this stage starts at Drummin Church, through Cuilmore and on to Sheeffry Bridge. Following a break here the children cycle back through Cuilmore to cycle headquarters at Heraty’s Bar, Drummin, covering a total of five miles at a nice easy pace. Parents, guardians, family and friends of the children taking part in this stage are welcome and encouraged to cycle along with the children. The 10-mile event, which starts at race headquarters in Drummin, is aimed at cyclists of all levels and takes in Oughtry, Letterbrook, Liscarney, and Carrowkennedy before turning back for home again.
The 36-mile stage some will remember as stage one from last year. This stage runs from Drummin through Oughty, Liscarney, Carrowkenndy, Cushlough, along the Erriff river, right for Doolough and Delphi via Ashleigh Falls, right again for Glanamurra, then over Sheeffry mountain pass, down through Cuilmore and finishing back at cycle headquarters in Drummin. This year’s all new 82-mile main stage will take you through Drummin, Oughty, Liscarney, Carrowkenndy, Cushlough, along the Erriff river and on into Leenane, then on into Maam valley, Maam Cross, out the Clifden road, right for Letterfrack then back to Leenane via Killary, then on through Doolough and Delphi via Ashleigh Falls, right for Glanamurra, then over the now famous Sheeffry pass, down through Cuilmore and finishing back at cycle headquarters in Drummin.
The views along the route of each stage are top class, not to be missed, and surely will not be forgotten. This is a leisure event so having fun is the nature of the event. All stages are fully marshalled. This event raises thousands of euro for various charities every year. Your charity or group is not too late to take part this year and raise some money for yourselves but fundraising permits for this year’s event are now very limited. If you have missed out this year, then get your name down for fundraising at next year’s event.
There will be free refreshments for all cyclists served along each stage and at cycle headquarters. There is also plenty family fun and entertainment at cycle headquarters throughout the day including bouncy castle, kids’ disco and numerous other fun activities for both young and old alike, with the night finishing off with live music and free food also being served on the night and everyone is welcome to go along and enjoy the day.
For more information on the official 2010 Sheeffry Challenge go to www.thesheeffrychallenge.com Call Tony Heraty on 086-3692176 for info on the 10-, 36-, and 82-mile stages, and call Mick McGuire on 086-7351523 for all fundraising permits, information, and entry into the five-mile children’s mini Sheeffry challenge.
