Fitness fanatic John cycles Galway to Dublin – for the love of a pint!

While the rest of us were watching parades or drowning the shamrock, one Barna sports fanatic was cycling the 220km to Dublin on St Patrick’s Day – for a pint!

John Greaney had the day off from the HurtLocker, the gym he owns in the Liosbán Industrial Estate.

And instead of relaxing at home, or heading into town for a beer, John had the notion to head off on his bike in torrential rain and wind to meet his brother in the capital.

“I asked Frank did he want to go for a pint. He said he would, but then I decided to cycle there, so it took a while,” he laughed.

John set off along the old Dublin Road at 10am and was going mighty guns until about 10km outside Loughrea when he got a flat tyre. And then he smashed his phone to pieces.

“I was so cold, so wet, it took me so long to change the tyre that I saw this guy going into a house that I went up and asked could I change the tyre in his house. I asked could I borrow his phone to ring my girlfriend.

“I told her to ring my brother in Dublin to say I was turning back. I was going to get a taxi home. But then I just kept going.”

He persevered along the rest of the route, managing to catch parades in different counties on the way. He finally reached his brother . . . 4 hours and 58 minutes later.

John is no stranger to extreme exercise challenges – he has completed triathlons and Ironmans and has done longer bike rides overseas.
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