Two remarkable men from Donegal are setting out to walk 100km across the county in a single day, to raise money for charity, and awareness of prostate cancer and the importance of getting checked.
Donegal businessman Joe Coyle will be joined by Thomas Given for the charity walk from Mountcharles to Downings.
Joe is currently living in Mountcharles, but is a Downings native – making this route from the Donegal Bay to the north coast especially poignant.
An avid walker and qualified walking guide, Joe has also been one of the guides on the popular annual Donegal Camino over the years.
The inspiration for this special walk stems from Joe’s own story of surviving prostate cancer – thanks to early discovery and treatment that came about thanks to a chance medical appointment.
His driving licence expired, meaning that he required a routine medical to be completed to get his renewal – a medical that led to the early discovery of the disease – with Joe saying “what should have been a simple renewal became a complete life health check, albeit with a very positive outcome.”
The walk on the 2nd of May will raise much needed funds for Cancer Care West in Donegal, which provided professional and personal support to Joe and his family throughout his cancer journey – leading to him wishing to give back to the service.
Joe and walking partner Thomas Given will depart from the Mountcharles Pier on Donegal Bay at 4am on Friday morning, the 2nd of May, and walk via the picturesque Lough Eske to the twin towns of Ballybofey and Stranorlar and onto the commercial capital of Donegal, Letterkenny.
From here Joe and Thomas will continue their walk through Kilmacrennan and the beautiful Lough Salt and onto Carrigart, from where Joe will walk home to his original birthplace of Downings via the Atlantic Drive.
While the long trek will certainly be a challenge, Joe also notes that cancer was one too – and he is keen to show his fellow men the importance of getting checked early and avoiding a cancer diagnosis.
“I’m very grateful to have beaten prostate cancer,” Joe said.
“Gratitude is everything in life and especially when you come out the other side of a Prostate Cancer surgery from Jan 2022. It was a stressful time for me and my family and my intention with walking from my home in Mountcharles to my birth home in Downings on Friday May 2nd next is to show men the importance of being aware of their Prostate and getting checked and to thank Cancer Care West Donegal for their support.”
Walkers are welcome to join Joe for some or all of the walk (with those joining being responsible their own safety transport and provisions).
Joe invites everyone to donate to Cancer Care West Donegal via his iDonate page: https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/JoeCoyle111. All proceeds go directly to the vital services which the cancer charity provide for men, women and children across Donegal who are on a cancer journey.
“The numbers of men being diagnosed with prostate cancer are increasing,” Joe said.
“Ultimately I’m pleading with men over 45 to go to their GP and get their PSA number (Prostate Signal Antigen which is a marker in the blood for Prostate Cancer) and become familiar with it. When I became aware of mine at the rate of 3.6. I wondered if I had just won the Lotto or was I on the way out? My GP felt that while it was under 4.00 there was no urgent cause for concern. The first test or reading is the most important as all future tests are benchmarked against that one. In my case my previous reading was 2.6”
Joe Coyle guides the annual Donegal Camino 7 day walking festival alongside lead Donegal Camino guide John Mc Groary of John’s Walking Ireland which also raises substantial funds for Cancer Care West Support Centre in Donegal.
