Donegal Oil

HOME HEATING

 

A huge number of children from Donegal travel to Crumlin children’s Hospital and in 2016 alone 1438 Children from Donegal attended Crumlin Outpatients Dept. Children attend for a range of clinics such as Orthopaedic appointments. This year the Outpatients Dept, which caters for 80,000 children annually will be upgraded to provide better facilities for the children, staff and their families. Nazareth’s Baby Ward will also be refurbished to ensure that the rooms there are fit for purpose and can facilitate the new technology needed to treat seriously ill children along with improving the space for parents to stay overnight with their children. CMRF are also funding priority equipment needed for the hospital and for vital research which is being conducted at the NCRC into Paediatric Cancer, Immunology, Eczema & CF.

 

Shaun Stewart & Lonan O’Farrell recently took part in a challenge that involved climbing all of Ireland’s 26 Peaks over 32 counties and they beat the fastest known time by a record 27 hours. They did this to try & raise money for Crumlin and have raised a huge total of €6276 for their chosen charity Crumlin Children’s Hopsital, which was presented to Antionette Kelly from CMRF at the offices of Donegal Oil Company this week.

 

Shaun’s sister, brother in-law & niece, Katie, Ronan & Cara Murphy will be on a journey over the coming years with their little 2 year old daughter Cara, with many visits to Crumlin’s Childrens Hospital. Cara Murphy was born with a condition called Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency (PFFD). This is a rare birth defect that affects the pelvis, particularly the hip bone, and the femur. The disorder may affect one side or both, with the hip being deformed and the leg shortened. At birth Cara’s right leg was approximately 1.5cm shorter than her left leg. As she continues to grow so does the discrepancy between her leg lengths. Currently her limb difference is 7cm and this will continue to increase. Cara wears a shoe that has a raise of 7 cm and she manages great with these. The good news is they hope that Cara will be able to have lengthening surgeries. It is uncertain yet as to how many surgeries Cara will need as each case of PFFD is individualised and there is no set plan of treatment that suits every patient. Lengthening surgery is a slow and painful process and the Limb Reconstruction Unit in Our Ladies Children’s Hospital, Crumlin have the expertise and skills necessary to carry out these procedures.

 

The challenge was sponsored by Donegal Oil Company and the crew teams took turns in driving, supporting Shaun & Lonan throughout the challenge. Crew teams were Arthur McMahon, Donegal Oil Company & Shaun Doherty, a friend of Shaun Stewarts. They were relieved half way through the challenge by the infamous Donegal Road Trekkers, Denis Ferry & Leslie O’Donnell.

 

The challenge it’s self was tough and Shaun & Lonan are extremely grateful to their team, families and the people who generously donated towards their charity. They would especially like to thank Arthur McMahon from Donegal Oil who sponsored the event & gave up his time to crew the challenge. Rory Kennedy, known in rallying circles for helping organising the navigational routes throughout Ireland. Shaun Doherty for crewing & providing support, Denis Ferry & Leslie O’Donnell who took care of them while crewing for the 2nd half of the challenge & getting them to Errigal Mountain in Co. Donegal safe. Paul Doherty, Paul Dohery Photography who climbed to the top of Errigal Mountain to capture what are just the most amazing images at the finish. John Dillon from Manor Motors who provided them with transport for the Challenge. Their own families & friends who supported them throughout, the media for all the fantastic coverage, Grace Ann McGarvey, for organising all of the Press, TV & Radio coverage & managing all the social media updates, before, during & after the challenge, Antionette Kelly from CMRF who was so helpful in providing materials & travelling to Donegal for the cheque presentation & to absolutely everyone who donated to the charity and met them along the way to support them & to everyone who were there at the finish to congratulate them.

 

Whats next on the agenda for this duo is yet unknown but they are never far from an adventure race, a mountain or an adventure cycle. They are always ready to #haveago.

 

A huge number of children from Donegal travel to Crumlin children’s Hospital and in 2016 alone 1438 Children from Donegal attended Crumlin Outpatients Dept. Children attend for a range of clinics such as Orthopaedic appointments. This year the Outpatients Dept, which caters for 80,000 children annually will be upgraded to provide better facilities for the children, staff and their families. Nazareth’s Baby Ward will also be refurbished to ensure that the rooms there are fit for purpose and can facilitate the new technology needed to treat seriously ill children along with improving the space for parents to stay overnight with their children. CMRF are also funding priority equipment needed for the hospital and for vital research which is being conducted at the NCRC into Paediatric Cancer, Immunology, Eczema & CF.

 

Shaun Stewart & Lonan O’Farrell recently took part in a challenge that involved climbing all of Ireland’s 26 Peaks over 32 counties and they beat the fastest known time by a record 27 hours. They did this to try & raise money for Crumlin and have raised a huge total of €6276 for their chosen charity Crumlin Children’s Hopsital, which was presented to Antionette Kelly from CMRF at the offices of Donegal Oil Company this week.

 

Shaun’s sister, brother in-law & niece, Katie, Ronan & Cara Murphy will be on a journey over the coming years with their little 2 year old daughter Cara, with many visits to Crumlin’s Childrens Hospital. Cara Murphy was born with a condition called Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency (PFFD). This is a rare birth defect that affects the pelvis, particularly the hip bone, and the femur. The disorder may affect one side or both, with the hip being deformed and the leg shortened. At birth Cara’s right leg was approximately 1.5cm shorter than her left leg. As she continues to grow so does the discrepancy between her leg lengths. Currently her limb difference is 7cm and this will continue to increase. Cara wears a shoe that has a raise of 7 cm and she manages great with these. The good news is they hope that Cara will be able to have lengthening surgeries. It is uncertain yet as to how many surgeries Cara will need as each case of PFFD is individualised and there is no set plan of treatment that suits every patient. Lengthening surgery is a slow and painful process and the Limb Reconstruction Unit in Our Ladies Children’s Hospital, Crumlin have the expertise and skills necessary to carry out these procedures.

 

The challenge was sponsored by Donegal Oil Company and the crew teams took turns in driving, supporting Shaun & Lonan throughout the challenge. Crew teams were Arthur McMahon, Donegal Oil Company & Shaun Doherty, a friend of Shaun Stewarts. They were relieved half way through the challenge by the infamous Donegal Road Trekkers, Denis Ferry & Leslie O’Donnell.

 

The challenge it’s self was tough and Shaun & Lonan are extremely grateful to their team, families and the people who generously donated towards their charity. They would especially like to thank Arthur McMahon from Donegal Oil who sponsored the event & gave up his time to crew the challenge. Rory Kennedy, known in rallying circles for helping organising the navigational routes throughout Ireland. Shaun Doherty for crewing & providing support, Denis Ferry & Leslie O’Donnell who took care of them while crewing for the 2nd half of the challenge & getting them to Errigal Mountain in Co. Donegal safe. Paul Doherty, Paul Dohery Photography who climbed to the top of Errigal Mountain to capture what are just the most amazing images at the finish. John Dillon from Manor Motors who provided them with transport for the Challenge. Their own families & friends who supported them throughout, the media for all the fantastic coverage, Grace Ann McGarvey, for organising all of the Press, TV & Radio coverage & managing all the social media updates, before, during & after the challenge, Antionette Kelly from CMRF who was so helpful in providing materials & travelling to Donegal for the cheque presentation & to absolutely everyone who donated to the charity and met them along the way to support them & to everyone who were there at the finish to congratulate them.

 

Whats next on the agenda for this duo is yet unknown but they are never far from an adventure race, a mountain or an adventure cycle. They are always ready to #haveago.

Brian Dugera lives in the stunning village of Glen, Carrigart and cycling is relatively new to his life. Brian only started cycling in the last 6 months after meeting Arthur McMahon from Team Donegal Oil, when he put a call out on Facebook, asking cycling novices to contact him to see if Team Donegal Oil could put together a team of cycling novices to take part & enter the 555km cycling challenge along the scenic Donegal coast with the Donegal Atlantic Way Ultra Race 2017.

Since then, when he thought that he had a chance of getting on the team, Brian started cycling & has taken part in some road races. Nothing too hectic or challenging, but for Brian it was just getting off the couch, getting out to do some exercise & the sense of achievement that he felt himself when he crossed the finish line encouraged him to keep cycling.

Team Donegal Oil has now provided Brian and the team, with the opportunities to gain new experiences & adventures & not only through the training schedule set out, but being part of such a well organised, encouraging & friendly team, led by Arthur McMahon has spurred him on to no end to continue to #haveago on the bike & just improve his physical & mental health.

Brian is part of a great group of cycling novices, who are all looking forward to the 555km challenge and are all training really hard. They have all said that without this opportunity they would never in a million years have reached a point in their lives to take part in this by themselves. But Arthur McMahon is confident that by 2018, they will all have their own teams and will encourage their own networks, families & friends to try cycling, running, swimming or whatever it is that will get them active & off the couch.

#teamdonegaloil are continually encouraging everyone to #haveago! Team work all the way!

Donegal Atlantic Way Ultra here they come!

Grania MacGinty a Radiologist at Letterkenny General Hospital and a busy mum, didn’t get much time to do exercise outside her working hours and looking after her family, that was until she was introduced to Team Donegal Oil’s #haveago concept by her hubbie Padgraig MacGinty, who took part as a 4 person team for Team Donegal Oil in last years Donegal Atlantic Way Ultra. She was inspired that Padraig was hooked to the cycling and got so much fitter & healthier in a short space of time.

It somehow spurred her on & last October she decided to #haveago at making time to introduce some fitness into her own life. So she started slowly with a Couch to 5k and added in when she could some swimming at the pool. She was overwhelmed and delighted with herself when she managed to run the Letterkenny Rotary’s Winter Warmer 5k at the end of November.

And in her own words, to “her delight” she spotted a post on Facebook where Team Donegal Oil were looking for a team of cycling novices to take part in the Donegal Atlantic Way Ultra Race. She knew that she was ready for another challenge, contacted Arthur McMahon & hey presto, she got on the team.

Not going to lie idle and really wanting to get into the spirit of the challenge, she bought herself a bike and started her training, cycling with a group of ladies, who now call themselves “The Lycra Lasses”. They were spurred by the Team Donegal Oil Concept which was to encourage others to #haveago and get off the couch. The Lycra Lasses set up a What’s App group & started inviting their friends. The concept for these ladies was to mix a bit of exercise with a bit of craic and get them moving & off their couches.

Grania, from the start had her X-Ray eyes focussed on the challenge & wanted to give it 100% for the team, so she recently had a go & completed the Rathmullan Duathalon, followed by the Letterkenny Try a Tri, The Waar Sprint and the Gartan Challenge Adventure Race, all in preparation for the Donegal Atlantic Way Ultra with Team Donegal OIl.

Grania is really looking forward to this challenge, as it will be a real team effort and great fun too. To be part of such a fantastic team of people that have never met each other before this and already they have become great friends & know that the challenge for their team will be fantastic!

Grania is already spreading the word to her colleagues at Letterkenny General Hospital & encouraging them to #haveago & get off the couch, make friends, have fun & get fit! She’s so glad she did!

 

Originally from Mexico City, Armando Camacho left his home country in 1999 and headed off to Boston to work. After a couple of years in Boston, he decided to go back to Mexico and open his own business.

 
The seed of a more tranquil life was planted and running his own business didn’t exactly provide what he was looking for in life. After a short while he decided to emigrate again, this time much further away.

 
That’s when Armando came to live and work in County Donegal, Ireland in 2005 and has never looked back. He works for Pramerica in Letterkenny and is happy living in what he calls, one of the most stunning and definitely one of the coolest places on earth.

 
Armando started his cycling journey in his 20’s just as a recreational rider. But he definitely got hooked on the sport after he came to live in Donegal, but not in a  competitive way, more as a social rider.

 
Even though Armando has been living in Donegal for the past 11 years, he is still constantly amazed with its scenery and hospitality. Finding new places to cycle to, keeps him motivated to finding new challenges and new routes to explore.

 
When he saw the call out from Team Donegal Oil to #haveago on this Donegal Atlantic Way Ultra Race, he knew that he wanted to experience a challenge like this with a team, so he contacted Arthur McMahon.

 
He is so looking forward to helping Team Donegal Oil on the Donegal Atlantic Way Ultra later this month. And he would encourage anyone to #haveago with Team Donegal Oil.

 

John McGill, has been working as Donegal Oil’s Commercial Manager for many many years.

Watching Arthur McMahon & what Team Donegal Oil’s challenges have achieved over the past 3 years instilled the thought in his head that just maybe he could do something like this for himself. So he thought he would mention to his boss, Arthur McMahon about taking up cycling himself & how he could go about it!

He knew he wouldn’t get on a bike himself and just do it! He saw how the physical exercise was having a positive affect on his own colleagues, he knew he himself wanted to just get off the couch & get fit. Whatever it took, he would like to #haveago.

So, when John mentioned it to Arthur McMahon, who was delighted to see another member of his own staff taking an interest in Team Donegal Oil. Not only that, he was so happy to see how the whole Team Donegal Oil concept had encouraged & inspired his own team members at Donegal Oil Company to #haveago,

Arthur said to John, don’t buy a bike just yet and I’ll loan you one of mine in meantime to see if you like it first. Needless to say after a short time, John was hooked, took the plunge and liked the new exercise regime and the social experience.

He took it slowly, nothing to serious, mainly Sundays with a few friends and sometimes in the summer months during the week for an hour or so. And thats as far as John has gone to date. So, when Arthur mentioned to him about  joining their Team Donegal Oil Challenge for the 2017 Donegal Atlantic Way Ultra, he didn’t have to think twice and is now part of their 8 person team for the challenge coming up inn a few weeks time.
John is really looking forward to his first Team challenge and hopes everyone goes well
and stays safe on the route.

Team Donegal Oil spirit of #haveago has inspired, so why don’t you too get in touch and you can become part of our upcoming challenges and just simply #haveago!

 

Declan has been running and doing some cycling over the last few years. He has entered & completed in local adventure races in the last year & has enjoyed it.

This will be the first time that Declan has taken on the challenge of an all cycling event & he is looking forward to the 555km around Donegal’s coastline with the Team Donegal Oil crew and team of 8 people.

Declan saw a post on Facebook a few months ago when Team Donegal Oil posted that they were looking for people to join their team for the Donegal Wild Atlantic Way Ultra Race & he jumped at the chance.

He would never have taken on a challenge like this by himself & when he spoke to Arthur McMahon of Team Donegal Oil, he knew that he could do this with the support & encouragement that he got.

The training is going great & they have really jelled as a team and not only is Declan really looking forward to this cycle challenge, he is ready to #haveago!

 

Billy McMahon, a dairy farmer from Ramelton, Co. Donegal is gearing up to join Team Donegal Oil to take part in their 8 person team for the 2017 Donegal Atlantic Way Ultra.

Commenting on why he was delighted & inspired to join Team Donegal Oil’s challenge Billy said, “Having hit my half-century, I joined “Ray Men on the Move” in December 2015 to try to get a bit fitter. After 4 months I was able to run a 5K, and then with a lot of encouragement from one very determined trainer I took part in an adventure race as part of a team, with even more encouragement I completed the next one as a solo.”

“Just this year I started cycling more, but he would never have thought in a million years of taking part in something like the Donegal Atlantic Way Ultra Race!”

“However, Team Donegal Oil’s spirit of #haveago,  has inspired me to be part of this encouraging team. I am thankful for the opportunity and looking forward to the challenge, craic and the finish line with a fantastic team of cycling novices!”

Let’s #haveago!

 

44 Year old Sheral Hetherington, a married stay at home housewife with three children has always been interested in keeping fit. She started running about 4 years ago as a way of getting some “me” time. At the beginning and as she was a newbie to the world of fitness, she had her fair share of injuries which was very frustrating for her.

In 2015 with a lot of help from Adam Speer, Speer Performance she completed several 10 Milers and Half Marathons and then unfortunately at the beginning of 2016 she got injured AGAIN!

She was ready to throw in the towel when Adam Speer recommended trying the bike as a way of keeping up her fitness levels and give her a break from running. Sheral hadn’t been on the bike since she was a very young child and wasn’t overly thrilled at the idea but gave it a go anyway!

Earlier this year, her husband saw the Team Donegal Oil post on Facebook looking for a team of novices to take part in the Donegal Atlantic Way Ultra Race 555Km. When he told her she thought it sounded like a good idea to join part of a team & it would be a real challenge with people of the same fitness level so I decided to put my name forward.

Now here she is, The Donegal Atlantic Way Ultra  2017 is just weeks away and she is starting as a complete cycling novice. The training with Team Donegal to date has been fantastic and with so much support & encouragement from Arthur McMahon, Team Donegal Oil, and her team mates, she is delighted but slightly nervous to now be part of Team Donegal Oil taking on the challenge of Donegal Atlantic Way Ultra Race 555Km.

But Sheral is determined to #haveago.

Marvin McEvilly, from Newtoncunningham was browsing Facebook one night towards the end of 2016, & saw a post from Team Donegal Oil encouraging people who were not active or motivated to to come join them in and #haveago as part of a cycling team they were trying to put together for the 2017 Donegal Atlantic Way Ultra.

Marvin went along to an information evening & he is now one of an 8 person team currently in training & will take part in the Donegal Atlantic Way Ultra Race later this month. He is delighted with his progress & team training so far!

Commenting on why he decided to contact Team Donegal Oil Marvin said, “I started what I thought was going to be an easy thing to do, cycling, back in August last year on a heavy Hybrid bike. I got only a short distance and I knew myself that my fitness levels were so poor.”

“Like everyone, you get out one day for a walk or a cycle & you think that your fit, but we all know thats not the case. The next day I went out to play with my youngest son, he ran off and I chased after him and I was just completely out of breath in no time.”

“This was the turning point for me, when I realised just how unfit I had become when I couldn’t even catch up with my 5 year old son, it scared the life out of me. It was a bigger shock when I stepped on the weighing scales and discovered I weighed not far off 16st. I knew then that I had to do something, and something more than one short outing on my bike!”

“My partner came across a 2nd hand road bike and I thought as I had cycled when I was aged 10-12, ah sure, I’d give it a go. I started out cycling with a few lads from around Newtowncunningham. And I really enjoyed it, but wasn’t pushing myself to any extreme limits. Some time later I signed myself up for The Giants Causeway Coast Sportive, did some training and completed 35miles in just under 3hrs. I was delighted with my own gradual progress.”

“After that I didn’t know where to go from there, but I knew I had to do something as my fitness levels were increasing & I was just feeling so much better in myself & had gained confidence on the bike. Shortly after The Giants Causeway Coast Sportive these words and hashtag “#haveago” caught my eye on Facebook.”

“I got in touch with Arthur McMahon from Team Donegal Oil and was invited to a meeting where I met Arthur. His attitude, inspiration, encouragement and his obvious love of sport was so infectious. I never thought back in August last year, I’d be looking forward to competing in a 555km cycling challenge with a Team that are all exactly in the same boat as me, cycling novices, for the 2017 Donegal Atlantic Way Ultra Race and I am so looking forward to it.”

“But I really would like to thank my partner who encouraged me to do this. None of this would have been possible without the support from my her and my three boys. I am happy to say that I am now I am just under 12st in weight because of the training and I can catch up with my 5 year old son. I want to thank Arthur McMahon for this wonderful opportunity and look forward to teaming up with Team Donegal Oil for our team challenge in a few weeks.”

“Team Donegal Oil was set up to encourage people who are sitting on the couch and who would love the opportunity of a support team to help them to just simply #haveago at anything that will increase their fitness levels, and get them off the couch. We all know that a healthy body leads to a healthy mind and we all need support and encouragement sometimes. If that’s what Team Donegal Oil can provide, then we are on the right track to encouraging more people to join us and we are delighted by the response from right across the county, I would like to wish this determined 8 person team the very best of luck, I know they are determined. They will #haveago & they will do this, commented Arthur McMahon.