2011 Brian Keenan Challenge honours republican legend

Winning team: Eamonn Nolan, Ruairí Ó Murchu, Darren O'Rourke and (not in photo) Colm Rennicks. They completed the course of 25km in 3hrs 46mins

BRIAN KEENAN’S daughter, Chrissie, joined Bobby Storey in making the presentations at the 4th Annual Brian Keenan Mountain Challenge, a 15-mile trek over the Cooley Mountains to pay tribute to the republican legend and raise money for Sinn Féin, at the end of August. Brian’s wife, also Chrissie, was also at the event.
IRA leader Brian Keenan passed away in 2008 and comrades initiated the Brian Keenan Challenge to honour his memory.
More than 30 teams of 154 people from all over Ireland took part on 27th August with the intrepid but good-humoured adventurers being bolstered by local Sinn Féin activists in south Down and Louth keeping them fuelled with hot soup, rolls, fresh water and plenty of fruit.
The winning team was Eamonn Nolan, Ruairí Ó Murchu, Darren O’Rourke and Colm Rennicks, who completed the course in 3 hours 46 minutes.  The winners received the Brian Keenan Memorial Shield and a canvass portrait of the 1981 Hunger Strikers.
The runners-up each received a copy of ‘Banjo’ Bannon’s book, ‘Ascending Heights’ (‘Banjo’, Everest climber and one of Ireland’s most celebrated mountaineers, was a safety steward at this year’s event).
The team coming in third all received copies of the ‘Brian Keenan – Republican Legend’ book.
Declan Murphy told An Phoblacht: “Next year will be the fifth anniversary so we will make a big effort to make it a really fitting tribute.
“A big thanks to this year’s organisers, in particular Jane Martin, and we look forward to seeing more people next year.”