Life & Style

London Irish biker hits the road to Ireland to raise cash to restore Achill Island graveyard

AN IRISHMAN in London will embark on a mammoth journey to a Mayo island to fundraise for a community cemetery.

Patrick McLoughlin, 55, will begin the two-day journey on his Harley Davidson next Thursday, May 25 from London and will arrive at Pattens bar on Achill Island, Co. Mayo.

Mr McLoughlin, who is originally from the west of Ireland island and has been in London for 40 years working in construction, told The Irish Post he's taking on the journey to help his home community.

"It's a local community graveyard in Achill and it badly needs new walls. As it's owned by the community, no one gets charged for the graves but they have to fundraise to fix the walls," he said.

"We're still getting more donations in and I'm collecting cash for the graveyard.

"I decided to do the run because I wanted to do something for the community. I was going to go to Europe on the bike, and I said why can't I go back home?

"My mother died earlier this year and she and my father are buried in that graveyard," he added.

Pat McLoughlin will start the journey on his own from Wickes in Cricklewood, north London next Thursday with a Mayo flag on his bike, and will meet with four friends near Reading before continuing on to Wales.

From there, they will stay the night before taking the ferry to Dublin where they will meet up with six more riders - all on Harley Davidson bikes - and continue on to Achill on Friday, May 26.

Anyone wishing to join Pat on this bike ride, either on the English side or the Irish, or both, would be more than welcome.