A CYCLE from Belfast to Glasgow to raise money for a motor-neurone disease charity has raised over £40,000.
Sean McCabe from Twinbrook was part of the team that cycled from Belfast to Glasgow at the weekend. The cycle had been organised to raise funds for DeterMND – a charity set up on behalf of Anto Finnegan, the former Antrim Gaelic football captain after he was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in August 2012. Anto died in 2021.
Leaving Belfast on Friday morning, the cycle to Glasgow stopped off at Ibrox, home of Rangers FC, in memory of Fernando Ricksen who also lost his life to MND.
The team then cycled across the city to Celtic Park where they met with the family of Anto Finnegan and the family of Celtic legend Jimmy Johnstone, who also died of MND.
The family of Anto Finnegan meet the family of Jimmy Johnstone at his statue outside Celtic Park
They then attended Celtic's 5-1 win over Kilmarnock on Saturday afternoon.
The cycle also coincided with bringing a sod of turf from Davitts Park in West Belfast to Celtic Park. The Falls Road GAA club is named after Michael Davitt, the Irish nationalist and social campaigner and founder of the Irish National League. Michael Davitt was also Celtic Football Club’s first patron and the man who was invited to ceremoniously lay the first sod of turf at the new Celtic Park in 1892.
A sod of turf from the new Davitt's pitch, which opened in 2020, was presented to the club before the game by Anto Finnegan's daughter, Ava.
Ava Finnegan presents former Celtic captain George McCluskey with a sod of turf from the new Davitts GAC pitch
Reflecting on the journey, Sean McCabe explained: "We left on Friday morning from Andersonstown, got the boat over then got on the road and stayed overnight in Kilmarnock. There was a few punctures and stuff on the way.
"We were up early on Saturday and the first stop was Ibrox. Rangers presented with a cheque for £3,000. We then cycled over to Celtic Park and the family of Jimmy Johnstone and Anto Finnegan met us outside.
"I got very emotional as I crossed the finish line. My two main sponsors were Auto Pro X and Connected Health. Bernie Adams, the wife of Dougie Adams, who owns Connected Health passed away last week and she was all I could think about when I crossed the finish line.
"Three ex-captains Tom Boyd, Murdo McLeod and George McCluskey came out and brought us on to the pitch.
"We all had a great time at the match, and on Sunday the PD put on a bit of a do for us when we got back.
"I am delighted with how it went. I think we will have raised over £40,000 when everything is added up."
