Kenny the wheel deal at charity cycle

FINE GAEL leader Enda Kenny was one of a record 5,000 cyclists who took part in the the 112-mile charity cycle around the Ring…

FINE GAEL leader Enda Kenny was one of a record 5,000 cyclists who took part in the the 112-mile charity cycle around the Ring of Kerry on Saturday.

Some cyclists completed the route in under seven hours.

The event has raised more than €3.5 million for charity over the years, and this year local charities are expected to benefit from the estimated €500,000 raised.

Other participants included Kerry North Fine Gael TD Jimmy Deenihan, RTÉ’s southern editor Paschal Sheehy, former Kerry footballer John O’Keeffe and Kerry’s new Garda chief superintendent, Pat Sullivan.

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One-way traffic systems were in place between Killarney and Killorglin on Saturday.

The beneficiaries of this year’s Ring of Kerry fundraiser are: Kerry Parents and Friends Association, Kerry Stars Special Olympics Club, Recovery Haven – Comfort and Care for Cancer, Enable Ireland Kerry, the Irish Wheelchair Association, and the Killarney-South Kerry branch of the Kerry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre.

Spokesman for the event Cllr Cathal Walshe said the cycle went smoothly, apart from a few minor injuries. More women completed the event this year, and the ratio of men to women was now 60-40, the councillor added.

Meanwhile, Killarney experienced a record visitor weekend, with thousands arriving for the Kerry-Limerick Munster final clash, the town’s second big GAA clash this summer.

Gardaí said that despite the large crowds in the town on Friday and Saturday nights, there were no incidents.