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Chris Egan sets sail today. RNLI

Cancer survivor beginning to lose his sight sets sail around Ireland to raise money for charity

Limerick man Chris Egan aims to sail around Ireland in two months.

A MAN WHO suffers from a rare genetic disorder that obscures his sight, and will eventually make him blind, has set sail on a trip around Ireland to raise money for the RNLI and Irish Guide Dogs.

The trip will see Chris Egan travel around the country for two months, on a trip he hopes will “promote sailing for people like me who may have been sailing for years but who have acquired a disability”.

Limerick native Egan, from Foynes Yacht Club, has done this before. He circumnavigated Ireland with fellow sailor David Bevan in 2013 after they were both diagnosed with cancer. They raised €25,000.

Since then, however, Egan has successfully received treatment for cancer but has been diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a debilitating eye condition that will eventually cause him to lose his sight.

He has undergone training with Irish Guide Dogs in the use of a long cane for mobility, and training on independent living skills, ahead of him getting a guide dog in the future.

Egan hopes to use this initiative to show that visually impaired people can still live a normal life and learn specialist skills to get ahead.

Alongside Bevan and Jim Humphreys, Egan will sail their 38ft yacht Tranquility around the country, hoping to return to Foynes in the first week of July.

18198557_1395238297181218_1772118362684261772_n (1) RNLI RNLI

“Our adventure is called Gangway for Guide Dogs,” he said.

For me, as well as raising awareness and funds for Irish Guide Dogs and the RNLI, this challenge is also promoting sailing for people like me who may have been sailing for years but who have acquired a disability.

Brian Curtin, community fundraising manager at the RNLI, said: “This is a fantastic challenge and one cannot but be inspired by Chris’s determination, encouraging attitude and his generous willingness to raise awareness and funds for ourselves in the RNLI and the Irish Guide Dogs.”

Updates on how Egan and his friends are getting on can be found here.

Read: Three people ‘extremely lucky to survive’ boat overturning on River Boyne

Read: Coast Guard and RNLI rescue eight people from overturned boat off Sligo

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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Apr 20th 2018, 7:43 AM

    Washington street is one of the main thoroughfares through the city and its a bit run down in places. It’d be great to see an injection of life into it

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    Mute prop joe
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    Apr 20th 2018, 11:19 AM

    @Tweety McTweeter: they did a nice job on the old factory on the coal quay where tk Mac is. Surely that can be replicated.

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    Mute Vote Tá For All Mná
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    Apr 20th 2018, 8:30 AM

    Huge shortage of accommodation in Cork and he’s complaining his students won’t have a nice view……

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    Mute Finbarr Dowling
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    Apr 20th 2018, 7:01 AM

    Fabric my h0le. That building is disgusting

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    Mute The Dons
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    Apr 20th 2018, 9:10 AM

    I agree with Hurley on many of those points but in fairness she’s OTT too. I mean its only a portion of the entire street not a whole section of the city no matter what the history and admits the planners were admirable in their plans anyway. Its seems hard to get anything done these days when its badly needed. The ongoing saga of the old Beamish brewery is a complete farce at this stage too.

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    Mute Hatchjaw
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    Apr 20th 2018, 9:38 AM

    You can see a pic of the proposed development below. We like bland boring architecture in this country.
    http://www.irishexaminer.com/property/planning-notes-go-ahead-for-further-student-digs-468578.html

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    Mute The Dons
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    Apr 20th 2018, 10:34 AM

    @Hatchjaw: A Peugeot 206??… Interesting plan!

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    Mute Niall Brew
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    Apr 20th 2018, 11:23 AM

    @Hatchjaw: its bland because people object to anything different

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    Mute Dr Richard DeWitt
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    Apr 20th 2018, 11:40 AM

    Generally student ghettos tend to be the worst kind of housing ghettos when it comes to antisocial behaviour, noise, late night partying, abandoning cars everywhere, putting furniture on the streets, not taking care of rubbish, et cetera. And that’s before we even think about so-called RAG week. Until we educate our youth about community living and values, who could blame anyone not wanting them anywhere near them? Parents really need to take more responsibility.

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    Mute Vote Tá For All Mná
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    Apr 20th 2018, 11:58 AM

    @Dr Richard DeWitt: what college are you hanging out near?! Went to college in Cork ten years ago, still live near UCC and I’ve never seen anything like that. There’s parties occasionally but they’re all gone out around 11. Rag week is a little messy but there’s no badness in it. You sound like a grumpy old fart. Maybe you should partake in rag week and enjoy yourself

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    Mute Dr Richard DeWitt
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    Apr 20th 2018, 4:01 PM

    @Vote Tá For All Mná: And…another oxygen thief graces cyberspace.

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    Mute Vote Tá For All Mná
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    Apr 20th 2018, 4:44 PM

    @Dr Richard DeWitt: pr!ck. Have a lovely day.

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