From August 4th to 7th, cycling legend Sean Kelly led 120 amateur cyclists on the four day, 600 km Tour de Munster charity cycle around the six counties of Munster, culminating in Cork City on Sunday evening. The Tour de Munster cycle is now in its 16th year, with funds raised going to Down Syndrome Ireland (DSI) Munster branches for the 7th year in a row.

Sean Kelly, who is an avid supporter of Tour de Munster once again cycled with the group for the full four days of the Tour, covering an average of 150 km per day through the beautiful towns and villages of Waterford, Tipperary, Limerick, Clare, Kerry and Cork.  Since its inception in 2001, Tour de Munster has raised over €2 million for its beneficiaries, with almost €1.6 million for DSI alone. Paul Sheridan, who established Tour de Munster, could not be prouder of the Tour and its many participants over the years.

Paul said “There is no doubt that this cycle is a very demanding challenge and I am so grateful to all those who committed to the cycle, especially as our cyclists cover all their own costs. For many of the courageous cyclists, this was a return journey as they have committed to support the Tour year after year, while for some this was their first Tour de Munster. Having new participants each year brings new life to the cycle and helps spur in the cyclists to complete their spirited journey. The commitment from the cyclists is not just for four days, but for the weeks and months beforehand, so seeing friendly faces and receiving warm welcomes from all corners of the province throughout the Tour made the sacrifice so worthwhile.”

Paul concluded “This year once again supporters along the route were a vital ingredient to the success of the tour, they contributed to such a fantastic atmosphere, cheering and motivating the cyclists throughout the cycle, with all donations made going to the Munster branches of Down Syndrome Ireland. For all involved, it’s wonderful to see the great work being carried out by DSI’s Munster branches, and the many families whose lives are improved as a result of these branches.”

The Irish Examiner, Clare FM, Tipp FM, Red FM and WLR FM were the Official Media Partners of Tour de Munster 2016.  

For more news and photos from the Tour, log onto www.tourdemunster.com, find it on Facebook, or follow the Tour on twitter @tourdemunster. 

For further information on Down Syndrome Ireland see www.downsyndrome.ie.