THE legendary cyclist, Sean Kelly, will once again take part in the Tour de Munster Charity Cycle in aid of Down Syndrome Ireland which arrives in Tralee this August.
The launch of the 16th annual cycle took place at Lismore Castle Gardens and Kerry was well represented at the event on Monday.
The four day charity cycle takes place from Thursday, August 4 to Sunday, August 7, and will see over 100 amateur cyclists cycle over 600km around the six counties of Munster, raising funds for the Munster branches of DSI.
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Stage 2 of the cycle enters Kerry on Friday, August 5 through Tarbert, Listowel and finishing in Tralee where cyclists will overnight. Stage 3 on Saturday sees the group heading out the Conor Pass, Dingle, Annascaul, Castlemaine, Milltown, Killarney and finishing Stage 3 in Kenmare. They leave the lovely south Kerry town on Sunday morning for a finish in Cork city later that day.
This is the 7th successive year that the national charity has been the beneficiary of the popular cycle, and the official launch event was attended by over 220 invited guests, including members from the various Munster branches of DSI and families supported by the charity, Tour sponsors and many of the cyclists taking part this year.
The 2015 cycle raised €260,000 for the charity, bringing the total raised for the Munster Branches of DSI to €1.6 million.
Funds raised have made a tremendous difference to the lives of people with Down Syndrome in Munster, as well as their friends and families by providing vital services and facilities in each county. The goal of DSI is to enable children born with Down Syndrome to be as independent as possible, and through the great work of the Tour de Munster cyclists and supporters, DSI can access the funding needed to help more young people with Down Syndrome develop and flourish in practical ways.
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