Home sweet home!!!

We awoke on Thursday to find strong gusty winds and heavy rain awaiting us outside the comfort of the King household in Ashbourne. Whilst the weather made it extra difficult to get up on our bikes, the thoughts of seeing all our family and friends in Dublin later that day was enough to keep us going.
Glad to see a friendly and familiar face, we were joined by our good friend and fellow cyclist Jimmy Murphy. Jimmy joined us on the first day and cycled from Dublin to Arklow and back (in one day!!!), so it was fitting that he should join us on the final few kilometres of our trip. A massive thank you to Jimmy's colleagues in the Dublin City Council who sponsored Jimmy to join us for the first day, raising €400.
We spun along the N2 towards Dublin chatting away, boring the ears off poor Jimmy with tales of our trip. Despite the short distance between Ashbourne and Dublin, it was still tough going as there was a strong gusty wind, which at times was even dangerous, causing Conor to take a trip deep into the grass verge which was annoying, but better than the alternative of taking a trip into the oncoming traffic!!! Special thanks to Eamon Martin from Wheels and Heels in Ardee for kindly servicing our bikes to ensure that we made it over the finish line!!
Outside Glasnevin cemetery we were joined by some more friendly faces. Phillip Watt, Martin Cahill, Sandra Doyle and Niall Phelan joined us for the last few kilometres of our journey. It was very fitting and indeed made it extra special that for the final kilometres of our journey we were joined by some of the people who have helped and supported us the most over the past few weeks. Many thanks to all those who joined us on the final day.
We arrived at the headquarters for the CFAI in Rathmines, where we received a warm welcome (including tea and sandwiches!!) from the lovely staff! It was important for us to call into the charity's office so we could thank in person the lovely staff of the CFAI who have been so supportive and helpful over the past few weeks.
After a quick interview with TV3 news we headed for the Herbert Park hotel (our starting point) where we would bring our journey to a close. Once again we received a warm welcome from our family, friends, loved ones and Fearghal. Many thanks to the Herbert Park hotel for providing us with a great venue for our leaving and homecoming events!! Also a massive thanks to everybody that showed up on the night, it truly meant the world to the Cycling For CF team to be surrounded by our loved ones (who have been so supportive of us) as we crossed the finish line.
And so, as we celebrated crossing the finish line, it began to dawn on us that our journey had come to an end. Whilst we were both delighted to have completed the 2500km (the equivalent of Dublin to Moscow!!), we were also quite sad that our adventure was over! Over the past 5weeks we have had a huge amount of fun and we wish to thank every person we met along the route who made our journey so extra special. To all the people who waved or beeped at us, the representatives from the various branches of the charity, members of the CF community or the many cyclists who joined us for a spin, we say a massive heartfelt thanks! All of you made our journey so extra special and fun. When we're grey (or in Conor's case greyer!) and old we will look back fondly over the past few weeks and think of each and every one of you!
We also owe a huge debt of gratitude to all our sponsors (including our equipment, financial and accommodation sponsors) without whom this trip would not have been possible, on behalf of the Cycling For CF team thank you!!!!
A massive thank you to the CF community and the staff of the CFAI. You were a constant source of support and inspiration to us on the road. Whilst the motivation for our trip was the love we have for our friend Avril, the reason for the trip was to create awareness and fundraising for each and every person living with CF in Ireland. It was with great pride that we wore the logo of the CFAI on our jerseys, as this logo was a constant reminder of all the wonderful, strong and inspirational members of the CF community we met throughout our trip. Whilst there are too many of you to name individually, you know who you are, and from the bottom of our hearts we thank you!

To all our sponsors, people who have donated, families, friends and supporters we say a massive thank you for all your love and support over the past 5weeks! Without you this trip would not have been possible and together we have managed to raise a staggering amount of money (which is still growing) for the CFAI so thank you for your generosity and support!!

Finally on Thursday Nov 18th we will be holding a concert in the Sugar Club on Leeson St. in Dublin. We would love you to join us in bringing this project to a close. There will be great music, a raffle and plenty of dancing, so spread the word. Doors will open at 8pm and admission will be €5 on the door with all proceeds going to the CFAI. Check back here for the full line up and finer details of the night.

See you there,
Love,
The Cycling for CF team!!