Carlow biker group raises more than €2k for brave little India
Bikers came from all over the county and beyond to support the ride-out Photos: Craig O Mahúna
ALMOST 70 bikers roared out of the Circle K garage in Rathcrogue recently, when they took part in a run for a great cause.
The bike run was organised by Patrick Brennan and Megan Manning in aid of a little three-year-old girl called India Kelly.
India is being treated for cancer since she was first diagnosed in December 2022 with a stage four neuroblastoma. The brave little toddler has been treated in Ireland with good results, but there’s a chance that the cancer could return. Her parents Kate Kelly and Aonghus Smyth decided to look for more treatment for her in the world-famous Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York, where she is undergoing clinical trials. The treatment will cost in the region of €500,000, so various fundraising events have been set up.
India is a niece of Sergeant Hud Kelly, who is stationed at Carlow Garda Station, so when Patrick and Megan saw an article about her in , they decided to organise an event.
The couple are members of a group of bikers called Bikes and Banter Carlow, which meets once a week on an informal basis at the Circle K garage in Rathcrogue and once a month on a Sunday. This is the second annual run the group has organised after they raised funds for another sick child last year.
The group used the ring roads around Carlow town to travel out to Castlecomer before returning back to Rathcrogue, where they had tea and refreshments in the Tinryland GAA clubhouse.
“We see how people raise money for big charities, but we wanted to help someone by giving them the money directly. We were delighted with how it went, with close to 70 bikers taking part, including a group called The Outkasts, who came all the way from Newry. We’ve raised more than €2,000 so we’re delighted with that,” said Patrick.
