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Members of the West Coast Motorcycle Club James Davoren, John Murphy and Clinton Tully during a stop off at Spanish Point while scouting the route for this Sunday s Happy Feet Happy Minds fundraising Motorcycle Run which takes in a route from Donnellan's Centra Ennis, along the Wild Atlantic Way to Dunlicky, Kilkee, and finishing off with refreshments at the Marina in Kilrush. Photograph by John Kelly

Motorcycle run to raise funds for mental health


WEST Coast Motorcycle Club will be teaming with Happy Feet Happy Minds this weekend to raise funds for mental health services in West Clare via a motorcycle run on October 24.
The charity’s main prerogative is to support mental health services within West Clare, particularly sending counsellors to the local schools and to people in need outside of that sphere.
Check in for the event will be at Centra on the Lahinch Road in Ennis at midday, where some donations will be taken before the bikes take off on their first leg of the journey.
This will take them to Spanish Point, on to Kilkee and further to Dunlickey before returning to Kilrush and finishing with hot food, teas and coffees at the marina.
John Murphy, an organiser of the event and long-term member of the motorcycle club, said: “We will also be giving out fuel vouchers worth €100, as well as four €50 all-for-one vouchers, and many more. It will be a great place to spend a bit of time on this bank holiday weekend, for a really great charity.”
West Coast Motorcycle Club was set up in 1992 by West Clare locals who wanted to share their love for motorbikes with each other.
Since then, the group has organised at least one fundraiser a year for worthy causes; to date, they have raised over €130,000 in donations to various charities.
John Murphy continued: “This year Donie Shannon, one of the club’s officials and a long-time member, came up with the idea to do something positive and try to collect funds for mental health support in the West Clare area.
“We hadn’t to travel for long to find a newly set up organisation called Happy Feet Happy Minds.”
Regina Downes and Therese Cleary, Happy Feet Happy Minds’ representatives and organisers, met with John and Donie in Kilrush only a few weeks ago, and since then have been working closely with the motorcycle club to ensure the run gets the attention it deserves.
The charity gave a huge thanks to John and Donie, as well as all donors and participants, on their Facebook page, citing that the funds are being used weekly, going towards counselling, art therapy and reflex therapy.
Those interested in donating can also find a Go Fund Me link on the West Coast Motorcycle Club and Happy Feet Happy Minds Facebook pages.

by Conor Clohessy

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