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INSPIRED BY CHILDHOOD tales of Phileas Fogg and his around the world trip, Irishman Dermot Higgins is set to complete a Guinness World Record by becoming the oldest person to circumnavigate the globe by bicycle.
Retired teacher Dermot Higgins, from Rush, Dublin embarked on a 31,000km cycle around the world last June in an attempt to break a world record while raising funds for Trócaire and the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development.
At 55 years old, the father of four set out to become the oldest person in the world successfully complete the challenge.
Seven months into his journey, Higgins has trekked through 21 countries. He kicked off the trip in Madrid and travelled through Europe, Central and South-East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Higgins is currently in the US. He is set to arrive in Washington DC just before St Patrick’s Day. Once there, he will meet a host of leaders including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
Following this, Higgins will travel to New York City where he will take part in the city’s St Patrick’s Day parade.
From here, he will undertake the last leg of his journey from Lisbon to Madrid where he’ll be joined by a group of 12 friends. He is set to arrive back in Dublin on Sunday 1 April.
“Completely the round the world cycle will be my life’s ambition realised. Having the opportunity to promote Global Goals and to support Trócaire is the icing on the cake,” Higgins said.
I’m in really high spirits at the moment though feeling a little cold travelling through Bible belt America… In a week’s time I’ll be in Washington where I believe I can really make my voice heard in relation to promoting what’s really important to me – sustainability.
Trócaire’s fundraising manager, Reidin O’Connor said: “What Dermot has undertaken is an extraordinary challenge. Not only that, but he’s using his challenge to shine a light on global poverty and social justice.
“Here in Trócaire, we’ve been following his progress closely and his commitment has been really inspiring over the past year. We wish him the best of luck for the last leg of his journey and I hope that he achieves everything he has worked so hard for.”
Dermot Higgins is raising funds for Trócaire online here.
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Yes, if it’s popular, I wouldn’t use it.
@Thunder Snowman: exactly this! I looked at the top 10 list when my kids were born, and ruled them out!
Notions!
@Thunder Snowman: things are popular for a reason,
@Thunder Snowman: the problem in Ireland with names is that masses of people have the same surnames. Eg hickey.. Kelly.. Murphy etc so by giving out popular names like John.. Jack. Mary
It makes it near impossible to trace old friends or contacts.. As. There’s billions of john murphys. Sean Brennan.. Parents are loath to be more creative. Such as elvis.. Johan.. Or non saints names..
@NotMyIreland: now that would be a good original name :)
The more popular the name the less likely I’d pick it. Poor child would end up with loads others in the school having the same name and end up being called by their surname instead of their given name.
Yes, exactly. Also at work. I remember two colleagues having the same first, last and middle name and our manager asking them to pick a way to tell them apart for paging and payroll purposes. It’s awkward enough. In the 80s I got cheques made out to various versions, Fitzpatrick, Fitzsimon, you name it, and had to have them reissued. The more unusual the name, the better.
@Fiona Fitzgerald: I was the same as this! Ended up calling us by our first name and then the county we were from as our second name!
@Johnny B: Exactly. I was born in 1954, The ‘Marian year’ .. in Tipperary. Practically every girl in my class was called Marian Ryan ha. Thank goodness for my late mother’s independent thinking!
@Fiona Fitzgerald: I worked in sales at a company once where there were four Mark,s. When the fourth one came on board he was asked to answer the phone as John. Naturally what followed was hilarious as the poor lad had to adjust to not using a name he’d used all his life.
@Johnny B: Unusual names sentence your child to a lifetime of being asked to spell or repeat their name. I am variously called Colin, Donal, Colm, Connell etc and my name is not that exotic.
Just name your child what you want and stop jumping on the bandwagon. My wife and I are quite happy with our newborn Jorge, pronounced (Horhay)
@Ricky: Lovely name, but if you have to spell a name, and then tell people how to pronounce it, it’s a bit awkward. I suspect he’ll end up being called George by everyone else.
No way I’d let the popularity of a kids name effect my choice. Just ask my son, Adolf.
A lot of people don’t seem to care as they are still naming their kids Jack and there must be about 5 of those in every classroom now.
@Fandandi: it’s impossible to trace old friends in Ireland because of all the Jack’s. John’s.. Sean’s. Murphys.. Hickeys etc. Its like tracing win wing woos in China.
Yes I don’t want my kids to have basic names like Jack but nothing too over the top like Dymphna either.
@rice water: Dymphna is hardly over the top. I wonder were there any Assumpthas born this year or any of the names that were common when John Paul II was visiting
Sure every Tom Dick and Harry is called Jack now !
I’d never pick a name for popularity’s sake. I would give my child a name that has meaning
I wanted to call my daughter Emma but was nervous that she would be one of 10 or so girls called Emma in her school. For a while I considered Éabha instead purely because it was less popular. Anyway, I called her Emma and she ended up being the only Emma in the entire school. There was another Éabha in her class though. Just go with the name you like, your child will have it for life.
I’d always be inclined towards fairly plain names. I just could never imagine Nevaeh-Lily – Rose being taken very seriously as a presidential candidate, for example
Our twins boy+girl were born in 2014.stayed away from the popular names and tried to pick something totally different and in hunter and raven I think we succeeded.
@Tony Hanratty: good luck getting jobs lads
@Tony Hanratty: I think they will be changing them when they hit 18.
@Tony Hanratty: Fan of the 90′s show Gladiators by any chance?
I was weirdly pleased when my boy babys name( born in 2019 ) wasnt in the top 100..no other Harrisons in his class !!!
@Lisa Quinn: there are 2 in my sons creche. Like the name though, almost went for it myself. Dexter’s son was Harrison
@Lisa Quinn: there’s a good reason for that
@Wheresmyjumper: ask me tits
@Wheresmyjumper: also youre slaggin a newborn ye dick
@jzT: ha no way!!! 2!! That shut me up!! Its after George Harrison!
I’m teaching 13 years and have one Emily in my class, 11 years ago. Two Jacks in 13 years. Think we have one Jack and one Emily in the school now in a school population of over 400 children
@Mary Josephine: it’s because there’s a bigger variety of names people are choosing from. Even though jack and Emily are the most popular, it’s still less likely they’ll be used than Catherines or Johns were 30 years ago.
My husband’s name is Kim, he’d have much preferred to be called Jack! Think carefully folks.
I went with what was popular in 1969 lol my daughter born last Jan was called Mary-Anne after my godmother and my granny ❤️
Is there a difference between popular and common?
@Marg FitzGerald: Yes, rain is common in Ireland, but not popular.
I really don’t get if for example Emily is number one for 9 years how you’d add onto that list and have your kid forevermore Emily H. or Emily M. Or whatever in a class full of Emilys! But I’m obviously in the minority! I say this as someone who had 4 or 5 of same name in my class all my life and hated it.
@Sinead Mooney: Pick a name you like, nevermind whether it is no.1 or no.99 on the list. Picking a name based on the popularity is silly, yes there may end up been three or four in their class at school, but what does that matter! School is for a few years, a name is for life!
Yeh, I wouldn’t use a popular name. Maybe Virginia for a girl
@The only INFP in Ireland: your daughter will sue you.
Nope, I’m happy with mine.
I haven’t heard of anyone copying my kids snot and puke name,I wonder why
have your say