{"id":24235,"date":"2025-08-01T10:24:03","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T09:24:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/?p=24235"},"modified":"2025-08-01T10:24:03","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T09:24:03","slug":"family-take-on-bike-for-brian-in-aid-of-hospice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/2025\/08\/family-take-on-bike-for-brian-in-aid-of-hospice\/","title":{"rendered":"FAMILY TAKE ON BIKE FOR BRIAN IN AID OF HOSPICE"},"content":{"rendered":"

750 miles, 32 counties, 12 cyclists and 6 days to raise thousands for charity<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Earlier this year, the close-knit community of Poyntzpass lost one of its most beloved members. Brian Magennis \u2013 devoted husband, loving father, cherished son and brother, loyal friend, and respected businessman \u2013 passed away on January 16th after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Diagnosed in 2020, Brian faced his illness with the strength, grace, and grit that defined every part of his life. He initially overcame the disease, but when it returned, he met it once more with quiet determination. In his final weeks, he was cared for by Evora Hospice (formerly known as the Southern Area Hospice), whose compassion brought comfort not only to Brian, but to everyone who loved him.<\/p>\n

Now, his family and friends are preparing to honour his memory in a way that is as bold and heartfelt as the man himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cDad was the definition of a fighter,\u201d said Daniel Magennis (20), who will be among the 12 cyclists taking part. \u201cHe faced everything with bravery and dignity. When the illness came back, he fought to stay with us for as long as he could. When he passed, we knew we wanted to do something in his name \u2013 something that would carry his spirit forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

In tribute to Brian, Daniel, his uncle\u2019s Ciaran and Marty, and a close group of family members and friends will embark on the Bike for Brian<\/strong> challenge: a 750-mile journey through all 32 counties of Ireland, completed in just 6 days, starting August 17th. Over the course of the ride, the team will climb a combined elevation of more than 30,000 feet – higher than Mount Everest – making the challenge not just a test of endurance, but a true tribute to Brian\u2019s strength and spirit.<\/p>\n

While Daniel takes to the road, his younger brother Ben (18) is playing a crucial role behind the scenes, travelling in the logistics van and supporting the team every step of the way. Alongside his cousin Isabel, Ben is also leading the fundraiser\u2019s social media efforts, keeping supporters updated and engaged.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe miss him every day,\u201d Ben said. \u201cBut we carry him with us. This is our way of saying thank you \u2013 to the hospice that looked after him with such care, and to Dad, for the life and love he gave us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian\u2019s family were by his side when he passed, just weeks after sharing one final Christmas and New Year together.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all held his hand that morning,\u201d Ben recalls. \u201cIt was one of the hardest moments of our lives \u2013 but also a privilege. He gave us everything. The least we can do now is give something back in his name.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel added: \u201cI still expect to see him sometimes \u2013 his head just visible through the window from his favourite chair as I drive up to the house. The loss is deep. But through this challenge, we are channelling our grief into something positive. We hope to raise vital funds for the hospice and honour one of the best men we\u2019ve ever known.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian\u2019s wife, Margaret, will be there every step of the way, cheering on her family throughout their journey across the country in Brian\u2019s memory.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrian was more than a brother-in-law \u2013 he was a great friend,\u201d said Marty Johnston, one of the main organisers of Bike for Brian. \u201cHe had a quiet wisdom and a great sense of humour that we all leaned on. This cycle isn\u2019t just about covering miles \u2013 it\u2019s about honouring a man who meant the world to us and giving something back to the hospice that gave us so much when we needed it most.\u201d<\/p>\n

You can support their journey and help raise funds for Evora Hospice by donating here: https:\/\/www.justgiving.com\/page\/bikeforbrian<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

750 miles, 32 counties, 12 cyclists and 6 days to raise thousands for charity Earlier this year, the close-knit community of Poyntzpass lost one of its most beloved members. Brian Magennis \u2013 devoted husband, loving father, cherished son and brother, loyal friend, and respected businessman \u2013 passed away on January 16th after a courageous battle … Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24235"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24235"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24237,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24235\/revisions\/24237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}