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Saval resident James Digney is this weekend heading to France for a 950km cycle that will take him from Nice to Lourdes. It follows quite a bit of training locally and last weekend in Galway.
He is one of 80 cyclists who are fundraising for the Irish Pilgrimage Trust. The Irish Pilgrimage Trust take around 500 children with special and additional needs from all over Ireland to Lourdes on Easter Sunday every year for a pilgrimage/holiday with no cost to the young people. The Trust is a charitable organisation, made up of small groups from across Ireland. Group 93 and 67 are based in Newry and Warrenpoint supporting young people from the surrounding area.
James works in the family business Charles Digney & Sons Funeral Directors in Newry. His brother Charles who passed away in October 2023 was chairman of the charity as was their father Charles. Both brothers made the trips to France from they were 16 year old.
Every two years, the cycle to Lourdes is organised to raise money to keep the charity going. 2024 is the 40th anniversary of the event. It has a strong connection within the Newry area with the Christian Brothers taking part in a relay cycle to Lourdes with their students in earlier years.
James who's the only cyclist from Newry taking part explains "There's 80 of us cycling and because it's an anniversary cycle, we would normally start in the north of France, but we're starting in Nice, so we're going Nice to Lourdes the week before, and we arrive into Lourdes on Good Friday in preparation for the children coming in on Easter Sunday."
The route is 950 kilometres, but most of it's over five days because the first and last days are short days meaning that some days around 200km will be travelled. James adds "The last couple of days are going to be quite steep as you're going across the Pyranees into Lourdes. I've done it five times before. I've done it since 2012 for the Irish Pilgrimage Trust."
All the cyclists raise £3000 each plus pay their own fare. It's one of the biggest childrens' charities in Ireland.
James and the team are flying into Nice on Friday and a local haulier from Meigh, Declan Trainor Transport is taking their bikes over with the drivers volunteering their services for free. The bikes left on Tuesday morning from Dublin to Cherbourg and will be in Nice for the riders to collect.
If you would like to support James cycle you can donate by going to www.idonate.ie or ringing James on 079 2176 5999 or ring the office 028 3025 1220.
Follow the progress of James and other members of the team at www.followmychallenge.com
