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Dublin Live
Dublin Live
National
Edel Hughes

Irish pensioner to walk 740 miles while maintaining 5 km limit to raise money for sick children

An Irish pensioner, who walked from Galway to Howth last year for charity, has taken on a new challenge while abiding to lockdown limits.

Eugene O'Leary plans to walk from his home in Howth to Baldolye everyday to complete the the 1,190km (740 miles) challenge by September when lockdown ends.

The Cork man, who is in his 70s, had been cocooning until recently but is now able to exercise as lockdown restrictions have eased, the Irish Mirror reports.

Last summer, Eugene walked 140 miles from Galway Docks back home to Howth Harbour but lockdown restrictions prevent him from travelling such distances this year.

The super-fit septugenarian researched how far he could travel from his house in Howth in north Dublin within the 5km limit and discovered he could walk to Baldoyle everyday.

He has now begun pushing his buggy to Baldoyle and back each day (10km round trip).

'The Man with the Pram' is raising funds for the Children's Medical & Research Foundation at Crumlin Children's Hospital in memory of his beloved late daughter Helen.

Helen was born with a congenital heart defect and underwent her first surgery at just six weeks old and was a patient at Crumlin until she was 18.

Sadly, she passed away at 19 after one of her arteries ruptured.

Eugene said: "My fundraising for the children in Our Lady's Children's Hospital Crumlin can recommence at last.

"If the lockdown ends by the 1st September, I will have pushed my buggy for 1,190 kilometres or 740 miles. I hope to raise at least €1 per kilometre.

"You can sponsor me here, or if you meet me along the road, you might consider throwing a few euro/cents in my bucket. Everything counts."

To support Eugene's challenge, you can visit his fundraising page here.

For the latest news and breaking news visit dublinlive.ie/news.

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