Martin Ryan will observe his 70th birthday by embarking on his biggest ever challenge – a 400km walk along Ireland’s south-east and southern coasts. Retired to his native County Wexford following a business career that took him the length and breath of Africa, Martin says that his motivation for the two-week fundraising hike is to be able to give something back to a continent that was so good to him and to his family. The funds raised will support the work of Irish charity Self Help Africa, which works with small farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. “I lived and worked in Africa for more than 35 years, and some of my children were born and brought up there,” he explains.  Martin’s business, All Terrain Services (ATS), which he and his partners recently sold to the Tsebo Group, currently works in more than 20 African countries. Alongside its core activities it has also implemented a wide range of rural and agricultural development work designed to support communities in areas where it has had business. It is this aspect of ATS’s activities that has prompted Martin Ryan to carry out his sponsored walk for Irish development charity Self Help Africa, with whom he has had an association for the past numberof years. “Self Help’s agriculture-based projects are very similar, if on a far greater scale, to the projects I was involved with. Iknow the importance of agriculture for rural poor communities in Africa, and I can see the real impact that the work of Self Help Africa has had on theground.” Martin Ryan wants to raise €20,000 with his upcoming charity walk, which he sees as the first leg of a planned hike aroundthe entire coast line of Ireland. He will start from Courtown Harbour in Wexford on Monday, 18th June, expecting to average 40km a day to reach his West Cork destination, “I’m avoiding the main roads and towns, but am instead passing through dozens of smaller villages and communities.  I’d be delighted if people would come out and join me for a stretch, and better still if they would like to make a donationto the cause,” he says.

Self Help Africa is dedicated to ending hunger and poverty in rural Africa.

• €20
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Anne Brennan for your kind donation

• 

  Well Done Martin, great walk for a good cause. The 70's will be no bother.

• €30
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Fiona Sneddon for your generous donation

• €20
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Fiona Sneddon for your generous donation

• €50
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Celine Smyth for your kind donation received today.

• €50
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you John Millar for your kind donation.

• €20
  Ross Flannery

• €100
  Martin Ryan

  With many thanks to Ed Whelan proprietor of Whelan's Pharmacy Gorey - an independently owned family pharmacy. http://goreypharmacy.com/

• €200
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you so much Kay Slattery for your very generous donation received today.

• €50

• €50
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Andrew Healy for your kind support and generous donation.

• €50
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Alice and Gerry O'Connor for your support and generous donation

• €100
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Barbara Danaher for your kind support and generous sonation

• €20
  Martin Ryan

• €100
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you, Michael O'Reilly, for your kind support and generous donation

• €100
  Dermot O'Beirne

• €70
  Martin Ryan

  This donation from lovely niece Emma Costello , Sydney. Thank you Emma

• €10
  Martin Ryan

  Donation from the Front of House in the Carrigaline Court Hotel. Thank you ladies!

• €50
  Martin Ryan

  Donation from Brian Smith, Ronan’s old friend from University. Thank you Brian

• €20
  Martin Ryan

  With thanks to Kilian Tighe owner of The Roaring Donkey pub in Cobh

• €50
  Aoife O'Connor

• 

• €50
  Martin Ryan

  With many thanks to Gail Copeland who in addition to this generous donation walked +20km with me today!

• €20
  Ann Lacey

  Good luck Martin

• €75
  Bebhinn

  Well done Martin, very impressive, great cause

• €50
  Denise Ryan

• €100
  DOUGLAS MACARTHUR

• 
  Anne Ryan

• 
  Anne Ryan

• €100
  P & N Asple

  Well done Martin

• €175
  Richard

  Settle For Bay "did the business" for SHA at Ascot yesterday!

• 
  Martina (Ryan) Dempsey

  Donation from a golf partner!

• €10
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Philip Bishop , Wellingtonbridge

• €50
  Nick Rumpff

  Well done Martin! All the best with the walk!

• €50
  Rosaline Nutsugah

  I wish you all the best, Martin! Proud of you!

• €50
  Natalie Ryan

  Donation on behalf of Helen Smith, a lovely customer of Ashanti Gold!

• €40
  Pacelli Clancy

• €50
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Gerraine O'Loughlin for your kind support and generous donation.

• €20
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Dympna Funge for your kind donation

• €20
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Mary and Anne - old Gorey friends

• €100
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Bridget Bentley for your great support and generous donation. Bridget is my Physical Therapist, whose experience and skilled hands help to keep my muscles and joints in good shape.

• €100
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Robbie Boland for your support and generous donation

• €30
  Richard

  Martin, In addition there's €10 e. w. at Boyle Sports, Gorey on a "Sure Thing" at Ascot Weds 20th @5.00 p.m. Have a gerat walk!

• €40
  LOUISE WALSH

• €100
  ATS Group

• €100
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Halford's Hair Studio Gorey for your kind support and generous donation received.

• €20
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Frank Lillis. Great to see you out on the golf course again!

• €20
  Mary Ryan

  Second donation of €20 is from Dave

• €100
  Mary Ryan

• €200
  Michael & Eileen Cullen

• €100
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Mannie Larchet for your kind support and generous donation

• €50
  bernard murphy

• €50
  Anton Rautenbach

• €500
  ATS Group

• €150
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Dr. Michael and Margaret O'Doherty for your support and generous donation.

• €100
  Danielle Sheil

  Best of luck Dad...looking forward to seeing you allong the way!

• €100
  Martin Ryan

  With many thanks to Sean & Mary Hanley, our oldest friends from Africa. We met on an Alitalia flight to Lusaka, Zambia in Jan 1971 on our respective first trips to Africa - that's 47 years!

• €40
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Jim French (https://irishpubs.ie/pub/frenchs-bar/) for your kind donation received today

• €150
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Donal Ryan and Jack Moody for your kind donation received. Donal and I can trace our friendship back to Zambia 1972. We used to play golf together at Chainama Hills GC!

• €100
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Fr Michael Sheil and the Jesuit Community at Clongowes, for your kind donation received today and your thoughtful words of encouragement!

• €50
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Liam Brennan, (https://www.facebook.com/liambrennanhardware/) for your kind donation received today

• €25
  Martin Ryan

• €50
  Eamonn Lacey

• €100
  Stephen Cox

  Best of Luck Martin. No better person for the job!

• €50
  Conor and Maeve Ward

• €100
  Paul Partridge

  Top man on the job right there! Happy and safe walking Martin, you already gave so much to Africa, great to see you still doing your bit!

• €50
  Mick Molloy

• €100
  Eddie Smyth

• €20
  Sam McCarthy

• €50
  noel mcmahon

• €50
  Malachy Noone

• €50
  Eugenio

  Wishing you all the best and thank you for your kind gesture to our continent! Regards, Eugenio

• 
  Healy Partners Architects

  Best of Luck Martin from Michael Healy, Healy Partners Architects

• €50
  John Meyer

• €100
  Mary O'Donovan

• €50
  Paul Lemmon

• €50
  Pat Dineen

• €100
  Ann Meyler

  Best wishes Martin.

• €30
  Bart Jaworski

• €50
  Tara Noone

• €40
  Stephen Litherland

  The Camino was a breeze compared to this undertaking Martin! Steve from Sydney

• €50
  Ben Morris

• €50
  Florence

  When you climb a good tree we are there to push you up. Hi ‘Adinkra Symbol ‘

• €50
  Anthony Morgan

  Martin, Good Luck with your Walk, we’ll be thinking of you. Best wishes, Tony & Debs Morgan

• €100
  seamus reddan

• €250
  Pat Walsh

• €20
  Martin Ryan

  Thank you Pat Byrne for your kind cash donation today

• €100
  Michael Shelly

  Best of Luck Martin. A fit young man like you will have no difficulty with this walk. Very well done in taking it on.

• €50
  Brian Drohan

• €100
  Napier Williams

• 
  Tom Ryan

• €50
  Barry Lenahan

• €20

• €84
  Martin Ryan

  $100 donation from my good friend Gaby Talbot, Durban, South Africa.

• €50
  Harry Briscoe

• €100
  Hermann Bani

• €100
  Natalie Ryan

  Best of Luck Dad! Love Nats & Chaps xxxxx

• €50
  David Dalton

  Martin - good luck with the 400kms & thanks for taking this on for SHA

• €50
  Martin Ryan

  Cash donation received from my good friends David and Deirdre Bolger

• €20
  Karen Costello

  Well done Martin. I love your energy. Best of luck with it all.

• €100
  Craig Beulich

  Good luck Martin! Great initiative. Love Sharon, Craig and Timothy

• €75
  Raymond Marcoux

  Great initiative, Martin. All the best during your walk. Raymond

• 
  Ann Costello

• €50
  Eamonn Norris

• €30
  Martina (Ryan) Dempsey

  Hope to join you along the wexford route,Martin.

• 
  Eddie Byrne

• 
  Sheenagh Macnamara

  Let me know when you are in waterford & I’ll try & join you. Thanks for taking my place at the gurls catch up!

• €50
  Mary Kelly

• €50
  Ian Walsh

  Good luck Martin!

• €100
  Colm Davis

• €100
  Frank Ryan

• €90

• €20
  Jon San Jose

  Good Luck Mr Ryan!

• €30
  Peter Fagan

• €25
  Ted O'Morchoe

  Well done Martin

• €65
  Locky Marques Ryan

  That’s a bloody long walk Martin (aka Grandad) so proud of you ?

• €40
  Rowena Dwyer

• €100
  Martin Ryan

• €50
  Jez simms

• €500
  lcom

• €150
  geoff Woodfield

  Hey Martin, truly inspirational. effort. Best wishes.

• €50
  Heidi J Wright

• €20
  Bob green

• €100
  Martin O'Boyle