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Last Updated: Jul 6th, 2008 - 17:56:08 |
NCBI's Eamon Duffy Steps Down as Blazing Saddles Tour Director
By John Kavanagh, Press Release
Jul 6, 2008,
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Sudden Departure of Eamon Duffy from NCBI and Blazing Saddles
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| Eamon Duffy at the NCBI Blazing Saddles Programme Launch earlier this year |
All of Blazing Saddles were shocked and saddened to learn this week of the news of Eamon Duffy’s immediate departure from NCBI on extended sick leave. The news is reverberating throughout Irish cycling and beyond where Eamon played a more than passing role over the last 20 years since he joined Blazing Saddles, the internationally renowned fundraising arm of the NCBI. In that time millions of euros have been raised in the name of the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI)
Eamon Duffy said today, “My sudden departure last Friday was a joint decision between my medical team led by Blazing Saddles colleague and friend, Cardiologist, Declan Sugrue, NCBI CEO Des Kenny and myself, strictly on health grounds. I hope to return some day in some other capacity to continue my work with blind and visually impaired people who have played such a major role in my life. It is now time for someone new to take on the Blazing Saddles mantle and drive on, onwards and upwards! I have made many great friends and travelled the World with Blazing Saddles to places you only dream of. I will cherish these memories and in time keep in contact with all of the gang who have become good friends. We have achieved a great amount together, something I will always be proud of!!
Philip Cassidy, Team Leader of Blazing Saddles said, “On behalf of myself and my co-team leader at Blazing Saddles Sean Kelly, I would like to extend our best wishes to Eamon for a full and speedy recovery. We will all miss his great enthusiasm, leadership and professional event management skills. He is a great communicator and a good friend. Eamon’s wish is to see the Blazing Saddles grow and continue its support for our worthy cause NCBI for the foreseeable future. Hopefully Eamon will return in some other capacity to NCBI in the future. It’s “onwards and upwards” to quote the big man.
Stefan Grace who has been Eamon’s right hand man for the last twenty years said “I’m both sad and happy. Sad because I will miss my best friend, particularly at the epicentre of all our events, the lead car! The P.A. blasting out our signature U2 songs will be a little different. On a happier note Eamon has decided for the first time to make his health a priority. We all want to see him around for many years to come. We will want his legacy to live on. All the vision impaired will miss Eamon dearly, he was the inspiration and driving force for twenty years: from Thurles to Sydney, Beijing to Buenos Aires and Los Angeles. We hope to see him attend at Billy Shanahan’s “Trip to Tipp” cycle weekend in Thurles on Saturday 19th July for John Murphy’s Memorial cycle at 1pm from the Anner Hotel.
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