Donegal man to climb Errigal seven times in a row for Palestine

Miceal Boyle, an Annagry native, has decided to brave scaling Errigal seven times on Easter Saturday in a bid to raise money for Palestine.

Miceal is a manufacturing engineer, originally from Meendernasloe, Annagry but he has been residing in Toberkeen, Dungloe for the past five years. 

The 38-year-old has undertaken a challenge to climb Errigal seven times consecutively in a bid to fundraise for two humanitarian organisations as well as highlighting the devastating situation which is ongoing in Palestine. 

“For the past few months I've watched the heartbreaking scenes coming from Gaza,” Miceal told DonegalLive. “Like most people, I was horrified at the number of children in particular who are being killed daily. Just as heartbreaking are the children left behind with no surviving families, starving and cold.

"The destruction of the hospitals has also led to unimaginable suffering and on top of all this, they are now faced with a forced famine. 

“I felt that I had to try and do something to help in any small way that I can, so I have decided to try and raise funds and awareness for Palestine.”

“All funds gathered I will send directly to Action Aid Ireland and the Palestinian Red Crescent, who are providing essential humanitarian aid on the ground in Gaza.

"Any donation would be very much appreciated to try and help the people of Gaza during what has to be one of the darkest periods in modern history.”

The west Donegal man is no stranger to hiking, but he is aware that this will be a big challenge, one that is not for the faint hearted, but after seeing the tragedies he felt he had to stand up and take action. 

“I've done a good bit of climbing since I was young, in Donegal and also some in Iceland and Patagonia in Chile,” he revealed.  “I have been a member of a mountain running group for the past year and completed the seven sisters 30km race last year.”

A climb like this is a challenge that needs planning so Miceal intends to begin at 5am with the idea that each climb of the mountain will take about an hour and a half to complete. Although other factors need to be taken into consideration, it is not faster you get each time you go up after all, it will be more difficult on each climb. 

“I would climb Errigal fairly regularly,  so know the mountain  and how hard it can be, quite well. It all depends on conditions and how I feel later in the day as three times is the most I've climbed it on one day before so after four or five I don't know how I will feel.”

Members of the local community have shown interest in participating in the climb although nobody has committed to the undertaking of seven aside from Miceal. 

His wife Christine has also put a lot of work into the fundraiser as well. She has organised a bake sale which will be on display at Errigal and she has also been reaching out to people across social media to spread the word and gather extra funds for donation.

If you would like to donate to Miceal’s fundraiser, seven Errigals for Gaza, you can do so here. Any donations are greatly appreciated. The humanitarian organisations that donations are lined up for are Action Aid Ireland and the Palestinian Red Crescent. 

Action Aid Ireland works with women and children and forms part of the Action Aid Global Federation which strives for ‘justice at every level to make the greatest contribution towards a just, equitable and sustainable world’ while tacking poverty. 

The Palestinian Red Crescent provides medical aid and it forms a part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The organisation is guided by the universal principles humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.