Former Tyrone Senior Hurler and current teacher in St. Patrick’s Bearnageeha Community School in Belfast Carl McCabe is undertaking a charity cycle linking both Windgap in Kilkenny and Bearnageeha. A senior player in both codes in his home club Naomh Éanna in Tyrone Carl is now involved with the St. Gaul’s in Belfast. His journey takes the long way round as he is adding two days to his home Clubs cycle that takes place from the home of St. Enda, in the Aran Islands to Omagh,
On Thursday morning at 9am Carl leaves the pitch in Windgap for Galway where he will meet up with his Naomh Éanna team mates in Galway to cycle the second leg to Sligo on Friday. On Saturday they continue their trip to finish back in Omagh. After an overnight break Carl undertakes the final leg to link up the two Windgaps/Bearna Na Gaoithes when he cycles on his Belfast school known as the “Windy Gap” on Sunday. Carl’s aim on the additional two legs of the cycle “Is to raise both awareness and funds for a local group who do great work with the local community and schools in an area around his school that has been scarred by suicide in recent times”. Winners earlier in the year of the Nolan Cup for football it was the school’s first ever title at senior Colleges’ level. the result saw the team go on to play in the All-Ireland series for the first time under Team Coach and Head of PE Carl. In the past week they were visited by GAA President Christy Cooney who opened their new Astroturf playing area. Recently the Terry Donaghy/Bearnageeha Reconciliation Award in memory of a former teacher of the school was presented to the worthy first recipient David Scott, Education Officer of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland. The highly symbolic award crafted from bog oak had the word “Reconciliation” etched in ogham onto the vertical edge that promotes ongoing peace and reconciliation. Carl arrives by train in Kilkenny on Wednesday evening and looks forward to meet some of the locals before he sets off on the long haul on Thursday morning at 9am.
To learn more about the cycle from Windgap to Bearnageegha and the reasons behind it that has featured on the BBC and the Tyrone website go to http://www.tyronegaa.ie/tyrone-gaa-tv/
