Rathmines Womens Refuge Run 2015

KT10

Hi folks, noticed this wasn't up here yet and a few boardsies always attend, hoping you can all make this years run.

Evening folks, delighted to say the run will be going ahead this year, Dublin Harley Davidson have again offered to allow people drop in presents in the week leading up to the Run, and also allow us use them as the start point for the run.

We'll be meeting from 11am with a strict departure time of 12:30pm.

We'll proceed down the M50, on to the Summit Inn to deforst, then on to the Refuge in Rathmines to hand deliver all the presents.

A number of people have contacted us and are running collections in their businesses/workplaces for both toys for kids (wrapped and marked with age and boy/girl) and for shoeboxes containing toiletries for the mums.

This is a great idea and we'd encourage anyone else who can, to do the same. All gifts can be dropped up to Dublin Harley-Davidson, Ireland in the week before the run (so from Monday the 14th of Dec on).

arybvtcw0eolkf

This is a brilliant run to take in.. And sadly this year we won't be lead by the late Aidan Lynam R.I.P.

Aidan was one of the founders of this run 22 years ago and will be very sadly missed by us all, I can hardly believe he won't be making his usual safety brief and slagging off.

I've a blown rear shock on my bike atm (looking like there's gonna be a new bike in 2016 for me) but I'm still hoping to make it.

This is a brilliant and very rewarding day.

stewygriffin

This is gonna be a big rideout,in view of the very sad passing of Adrian.
Im sure he will be looking down on everyone on the day.
RIP Adrian.

KT10

Only 2 days to go folks! Get those pressies wrapped!

arybvtcw0eolkf

Anyone heading out for this one tomorrow?.

Its really a very rewarding day, and seeing the joy and merriment on the kids faces as we deliver their presents and they get to meet Santa would bring a tear to a glass eye.

One of the saddest things I remember from the many times I've done this run is one of the ladies who work in the shelter telling me that this is one of the only days of the year that men are allowed into the shelter, and so trumatised are some of the families sheltering there that they've to receive counciling the week we're visiting ~ to prepare the children that the men who are visiting will be good men and are not coming to hurt them.

If you can make it, try.. See you there.

GBX

Guillermo Odd Sinkhole wrote: »

Anyone heading out for this one tomorrow?.

Its really a very rewarding day, and seeing the joy and merriment on the kids faces as we deliver their presents and they get to meet Santa would bring a tear to a glass eye.

One of the saddest things I remember from the many times I've done this run is one of the ladies who work in the shelter telling me that this is one of the only days of the year that men are allowed into the shelter, and so trumatised are some of the families sheltering there that they've to receive counciling the week we're visiting ~ to prepare the children that the men who are visiting will be good men and are not coming to hurt them.

If you can make it, try.. See you there.

Yes. See you there.
Cmon folks get thee asses out. Super day out.

stewygriffin

I rekon we had 200 bikes out today.The convoy out to Howth was mad.:D

Saint Aidan was looking down on us all today with the weather and probably having a laugh when we were unloading all the presents and handballing them into the refuge.:pac::D


What a fantastic day,great to meet so many people from this site and other sites too.Thanks for being so friendly to me
Im not too much of a w^nker in real life.:pac::P

Pics to follow soon.:)

stewygriffin

Thanks to the team of bike marshals who got us all through Dublin City Centre,out to Howth Summit and back to Rathmines safely and in 1 big long convoy too.Didnt have to stop for a single red light.:)

stewygriffin

Guillermo Odd Sinkhole wrote: »

This is a brilliant run to take in.. And sadly this year we won't be lead by the late Aidan Lynam R.I.P.

Aidan was one of the founders of this run 22 years ago and will be very sadly missed by us all, I can hardly believe he won't be making his usual safety brief and slagging off.

I've a blown rear shock on my bike atm (looking like there's gonna be a new bike in 2016 for me) but I'm still hoping to make it.

This is a brilliant and very rewarding day.

Good to meet the man behind the Captain America helmet today.:)

Hope your curry/stew didnt go cold on you when I was talking to you.

stewygriffin

Mutha

Great turnout, well done all.

Wonda-Boy

Fair play to all who turned out. Nice tribute to Aidan also......

stewygriffin

Video of us all leaving HD Ballymount at 12:30 yesterday.

Few more bikers met up with us along the route down the M50,down the quays to Point Village, and then on out to Clontarf coast road,into Sutton and then Howth.:)


Santa led the way,and no one dared to overtake him,as was made quite explicit during the safety meeting in HD.

KT10

stewygriffin wrote: »

Santa led the way,and no one dared to overtake him,as was made quite explicit during the safety meeting in HD.

Straight to the top of the naughty list if you did :pac:

hobochris

stewygriffin wrote: »

Thanks to the team of bike marshals who got us all through Dublin City Centre,out to Howth Summit and back to Rathmines safely and in 1 big long convoy too.Didnt have to stop for a single red light.:)

Shhh.. We stopped at every red light

arybvtcw0eolkf

I hope next years run is back along the M50 to Howth instead of that terrible ride through Christmas week city gridlock.

Other than that as usual it was a fantastic ride out.

Conor Nolan done a fantastic job as Santa this year.

And seeing Aidan's widow and children planting flowers at the tree planted in his memory brought many to tears.

D3V!L

I managed to miss out on this one due to a little accident and a broken wrist , looked like a great turn out

arybvtcw0eolkf

D3V!L wrote: »

I managed to miss out on this one due to a little accident and a broken wrist , looked like a great turn out

Sh*t.. Hope the bike is ok man :pac:

D3V!L

Guillermo Odd Sinkhole wrote: »

Sh*t.. Hope the bike is ok man :pac:

It is now

arybvtcw0eolkf

D3V!L wrote: »

It is now

The wrist must suck.

I came off in 1995, broke both elbows and my left wrist.. The elbows healed fine, but the wrist took forever. However after almost a year the bone doc decided NOT to operate and it eventually made a full recovery.

It was a scaphoid fracture.

Get well soon.

stewygriffin

D3V!L wrote: »

I managed to miss out on this one due to a little accident and a broken wrist , looked like a great turn out

Hopw you are on the road to a quick recovery.:)

stewygriffin

I thought going through town was actually good craic.Marshals did a fantastic job all that way out and back.

1 or 2 hairy moments with cars pulling in ontop of the bike convoy on the inside lane on the M50.
2 BMWs in front of me actually dangerously forcing their way in,when I was backing off to actually allow them in.What is it with BMW car drivers?:rolleyes:

arybvtcw0eolkf

stewygriffin wrote: »

I thought going through town was actually good craic.Marshals did a fantastic job all that way out and back.

1 or 2 hairy moments with cars pulling in ontop of the bike convoy on the inside lane on the M50.
2 BMWs in front of me actually dangerously forcing their way in,when I was backing off to actually allow them in.What is it with BMW car drivers?:rolleyes:

The M50 works fine.

As for the marshals, I've done it every year I've rode it 'bar this year.. In fact last year I had a pillion and decided at Howth that it was far too dangerous for my pillion so I decided to ride in the pack from Howth to Rathmines.

So yes I can appreciate their work, and they done a superb job yesterday. Flawless actually, but its an unfair burden to put on them next year.

I've a few photos to put up whenever I get the time, a few at the tree shall remain private as it was a difficult time for those of us who knew Aidan to see his young family plant their flowers around his tree.

I'm still choking when I look back.

Nodster

A lovely touching gesture from Cathy and the girls who run the Refuge - You'd have to have a heart of stone not to feel the emotion as Cathy spoke so warmly of Aidan

arybvtcw0eolkf

Nodster I just resized that photo and post it here along with a full view of the tree.






I'll never forget my brother ringing me that day. I was still sleeping after a night in the Gypsy.. "Have you spoken to any bikers?".. "No, I've been sleeping why".. "Have you been on facebook"... "NO, WHY".. "Aidan has just been killed".

The toy run is always a bitter/sweet day.. Yesterday as we remembered Aidan, more so.

DaveHumphreys

Sorry I couldn't make it this year, a fantastic cause and long may it continue.