You might think that a trip to France would be relaxing and filled with glorious weather. But on his seven-day and almost 1,000km cycle to Lourdes last week, Dara Kavanagh discovered that rainfall in France can be just as bad as Ireland. Starting out in Cherbourg on Saturday 24 March, a group of 130 Irish people cycled the length of France in aid of the Irish Pilgrimage Trust.

There were around 15 to 20 farmers within the group, all raising money for the charity which brings young people with special needs aged from 10 to 18 to Lourdes every Easter. While fundraising is continuous throughout the year, the bi-annual cycle is a big boost for the Galway-based charity.

Naturally, no farmer could cycle along without taking note of the agricultural activity in fields along the way.

Wexford farmer Dara Kavanagh cycled to Lourdes for Easter to raise money for the Irish Pilgrimage Trust.

Judging by the crops down along they seem to have had a tough enough winter

“You have time to appreciate everything as you go by. One thing that surprised me was the variation in France, even if you’re going through a tillage area,” Dara said. “We started off in Brittany in northern France which is very similar to Ireland, very green and with rolling hills. Judging by the crops down along they seem to have had a tough enough winter. A lot of crops were very yellow, very washed from the winter. Anywhere that spray and fertiliser has been applied there was a lot of water lying in the tramlines.

Listen to "Meet the dairy farmer who cycled to Lourdes for Easter" on Spreaker.

“Into more southern France there were smaller fields with sheep, goats and things like that down there. Up towards northern France the appreciation for traditional buildings was really inspiring. There was a lot of pride in their farmyards.”

The cyclists had two trucks on the road with them transferring suitcases, as well as a catering crew.

“Each day after about 70km to 80km there was a food stop set up for us to have a hot lunch and sandwiches to keep the fuel tanks full. The amount you eat when you are on a cycle like that is ridiculous, you’d be trying to eat between about 4,000 and 5,000 calories a day.”

“We also had an arrow crew which would set out four hours ahead of us, starting the evening before and they would put up markers and the different junctions and plan a route.”

Children

As the cycling crew left Lourdes on Easter Sunday, 480 special needs children and more than 500 volunteers arrived. The Irish Pilgrimage Trust organises a week of activity for the kids, some of whom have never left home before. Activities include a trip up the snow-capped mountains, picnics, fancy dress and ice cream parties.

They are miracles not in the big dramatic sense, but in the practical sense of their lives changing

“The whole week is centred around the young people,” said Dara, who has travelled out with the children and volunteers and number of times. “There is a religious aspect of every day and about 4,500 from the International Trust family come together for a mass on the Thursday each year.”

All the volunteers pay their own costs of travelling, including the professionals, and all the children travel as guests of the group. The cyclists must raise a minimum of €2,500 each and cover their own travel costs.

“For many of the kids it really gives them the self-confidence and belief they are able to do what other kids do. They are miracles not in the big dramatic sense, but in the practical sense of their lives changing.

“I came home with a different light on the fodder crisis and certainly better able to fight the challenges of farming.”

The Trust aims to have raised €300,000 out of the cycle. Anyone who wishes to donate or get involved can visit www.irishpilgrimagetrust.com

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