A WEST CORK man is currently cycling his way across Europe to raise funds for Doctors Without Borders in support of the organisation’s work in war-torn Gaza.
Social worker Enda Francis-Devine (26) from Innishannon has teamed up with his friend Conor Kavanagh, also 26 and a social worker, from Ratoath in Co Meath, for the gruelling trek of almost 4,000km.
The pair set off last week and are currently pedalling their way across Germany on the first leg of their journey, with the aim of reaching their final destination in Turkey before the end of August.
Enda told The Southern Star: ‘This trip was inspired by the idea of making all of Europe feel like home by cycling across every metre of it. A long haul bike-packing trip like this has always appealed to us.
‘When we decided to do it as a fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders that was when we both got really excited about it and Gears for Gaza was born. We are both eager travellers and adventure-seekers and being able to use those skills to support an important cause felt really meaningful.’
Both men admit their training for the epic bike ride was minimal and the furthest either of them had cycled in one go before setting out was 60km, which they completed the week before they left.
‘I did a triathlon the year before so was pretty comfortable with up to 40km at a time,’ explained Enda. ‘Conor had been cycling to and from work a bit, but really we are both very new to the long-distance cycling.’
So far the pair have cycled to Dublin Port, boarded a ferry for Holyhead, cycled across the UK for another ferry from Hull to Rotterdam, crossed The Netherlands into Germany and followed the Rhine from Bonn to Frankfurt to Munich.
Next up is Salzburg before crossing The Alps to Bled in Slovenia, then following the Croatian coast its full length crossing into Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Bulgaria.
‘We are making it up as we go, planning the next day’s route each evening,’ Enda admitted. In terms of the physical challenge, we have largely been surprised at how much we are taking it in our stride. Our legs are tired and stiff each evening and can sometimes take some time to get going in the morning, but we stretch every day and have a ball that we use to roll out our muscles.’
Steep hills in the Peak District in the UK and in south Germany have presented the biggest challenge so far with the pair taking plenty of breaks, ‘often lying on the side of the road’. Nutrition is key with fuel coming via ‘lots of fruit, nuts, and protein bars and we have electrolytes’.
Charging devices such as mobile phones is also a daily challenge and Enda and Conor have found themselves ‘leaving stuff in restaurant bathrooms, behind bars, or in any outlet we can find. It’s all improvised but so far we’re making it work.’
They have also managed to update their followers on Instagram with near-daily videos and say they have been overwhelmed at the support along the way. They are now proudly sporting Irish flags on their bikes supplied by an Irish bartender in Rotterdam.
Their original goal of €10,000 was surpassed within two weeks and they describe the level of support as ‘insane’ with the total now exceeding €15,000 before the half-way mark.
Enda admitted their families were at first apprehensive about their endeavours but this has now shifted because of the support and encouragement they are getting along the route.
‘As long as there’s regular updates so they all know where we are and that we’re safe, they’re happy to see us do something for such an important cause,’ said Enda. ‘As 2025 went on and the situation in Palestine was escalating it just became undeniable that this was the right cause. Doctors Without Borders is renowned as one of the most effective aid provision bodies active in the territory. We believed that we could not bear witness to such a genocide and just do nothing.’
The pair hope to reach Istanbul before the end of August – but Enda admitted they’d be packing their bikes into the hold of an airplane and flying back home to Ireland.
‘We have to figure out how to dissemble the bikes and fly them home but we will get there. We are just excited to keep moving forward and see how much we can raise.’
Follow their progress at linktr.ee/enda_moving or you can donate at www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/GearsforGaza.
