This article is from page 33 of the 2011-06-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 33 JPG
A 10-YEAR collaboration between local motorbike enthusiasts and Clare VEC has raised an estimated € 70,000 for local and national charities.
‘Wheels within Wheels’ started life as a motorbike restoration project involving students of Adult Education Services in Clare. The project’s aim was to raise money for charity by restoring, in some cases from scrap, vintage motorbikes.
Ennis man Jacko McMahon was the driving force behind the project for many years, helping to highlight various VEC initiatives and raise money for organisations such as St Luke’s Hospital, Dublin, Cahercalla Hospital, Steps youth club and the RNLI lifeboat service.
Since the project’s inception, Clare VEC provided facilities with education officer Dr Sean Conlan helping get the initiative of the ground in the early days.
Members of Clare’s motorcycling fraternity including the Banner Motorcycle Club also pitched in with their expertise over the years.
Jacko still helps out but the baton for Wheels within Wheels has been passed to Joe McConagle, a VEC tutor in motorbike and car mechanics.
For the past four years, Joe, supported by VTOS coordinator Frank Benson, has worked on projects with students at the Adult Education Centre in Kilrush.
Joe explained, “The bike is stripped down completely, rebuilt, finished and then we raffle it.” This year the team intends to fully restore a Suzuki GSX 750F with the aim of raising money for three-year-old Galway girl, Chloe Flaherty. Chloe requires round the clock care after suffering brain damage following complications that arose during surgery last year.
Joe, who is friends with Chloe’s father Patrick Flaherty, said, “She’s in full-time care. Her parents have almost had to stop working to provide care, it’s very specialised.
Work on the latest motorbike project has already begun and is expected to be completed by the end of June.
There are also plans to mark the 10th anniversary of Wheels within Wheels later this year.
Joe added, “The money has gone to different charities, in Clare and around Ireland. We reckon its raised around € 70,000 over 10 years.”
For further information on wheels within wheels contact joe. mcgonagle@yahoo.com.