Ballina man completes challenge of climbing 23 highest peaks

A MAN from Ballina has successfully completed an 11-day gruelling challenge of scaling Ireland’s 23 highest peaks in memory of Aishling Murphy, the 23-year-old teacher killed while out jogging along the Grand Canal outside Tullamore in January  2022.

Paul Tierney, who lives in the Shannonside town with his wife Barbara and two children, battled through Storm Betty, which almost put paid to his efforts to raise money for the Ashling Murphy Memorial Fund.

Following the death of Aishling, a keen musician and sportswoman, the fund was set up to further develop traditional Irish arts, culture and heritage for young people through the provision of tuition, facilities and equipment.

Aishling’s father, Ray, described the challenge undertaken by the Ballina man  to cycle more than 1,200km around the country while climbing 23 mountain peaks and sleeping in a tent as “phenomenal”.

Paul Tierney also undertook the challenge to raise funds for the Children’s Grief Centre.

Paul, who used to work with Aisling's uncle, completed the challenge in her home village of Blueball, Co Offaly, on Saturday last after travelling through 12 counties having battled through Storm Betty the previous day.

Of the cycling into the storm with rain lashing down, he declared: “That nearly broke me, to be honest.”

But overall he said he was amazed by how his body held up to successfully complete the event.