Each one of them had a certain look in the eyes. Was it madness? Or a steely-eyed determination. Meet the Magnificent 11, who are about to climb five mountain peaks in aid of charity, completing their challenge in under 20 hours in order to beat an English record. They want to get into the Guinness Book of Records.
The group was given a proper send-off in Renards this week. They climb the highest peaks in Britain and Ireland in a week's time.
"You have to be mad and prepared to run the risk of losing your partner," laughed Ian McKeever, the man responsible for this fund-raising enterprise, aiming to raise €70,000 for three charities - the Chernobyl Children's Project, the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland and the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games.
Why do they want to inflict this kind of pain on themselves?
Cathal Cregg, who has been running up mountains for 15 years, does it for "that pure sense of achievement I get every time I get to the top of a mountain".
Managing director of the Athlone-based Cregg Stone company, which is currently restoring the stone of St Ann's Church, Dawson Street, Dublin, says "every time I lay my hand on that cairn at the top, it's just that feeling . . . You get through all the pain in the world to get up that climb. You have to be a little bit mad. When you get up there, you realise why you are up there. There's a peace about it. You gaze around. It's a great release, especially when you have other lunatics with you," he adds laughing.
Patrick O'Sullivan from Lough Gur, Co Limerick, has never done anything like the Wrangler Five Peaks Challenge before. "It's the toughest thing I've ever done," says the marketing manager with Wrangler Jeans, which is sponsoring the challenge.
Out training, running up Slieve Donard earlier this month - twice, and "moving as fast as you can" - he discovered muscles in his leg he never knew he had. "I'm pleased."
For Pat Sweetman, the youngest of four Blackrock-based brothers who are taking part, "the training is soul destroying . . . It's a personal challenge, then raising money for charity comes into it and going for a world record in the Guinness Book of Records too". Doing Carrauntouhil twice last weekend was "more mind power than physical power", he says. "I never even went hill-walking," he adds.
Together with his brothers, Lorcan, Eamonn and Paul, the Sweetmans are hoping to raise €40,000. Publisher John Ryan and Lt Neil Deegan are also going
"The main thing I want is the personal challenge," says Lt Anne Brogan, who along with TV3's Lorraine Keane, are the only women on the team.
As the only woman pilot in the Air Corps, does she usually blaze a trail? "Not really," she says self-effacingly. But, she adds: "I'm pretty stubborn. If I'm not totally disabled, I will complete it," with steel-eyed determination. And it's the look that says it all. Go n-éirí na sléibhte leo.