Man unicycles across Ireland in record time: “Each turn of the pedal felt like torture”
After Eamonn Keaveney completed the world’s longest barefoot journey (2,080 km) in 2016, then followed it up two years later by climbing 10 mountains barefoot in 10 days, people constantly asked him what he was going to do next.
He didn’t have an answer for them until one day in 2020 he came across the fastest crossing of Ireland by unicycle record, which he recalls “seemed like a perfect mix of daunting and ridiculous”.
After several setbacks and delays, Eamonn was finally able to attempt the record last year, and he is now officially confirmed to have achieved it.
He unicycled from Mizen Head, the southernmost point of Ireland, to Malin Head, the northernmost – a distance of 613 km (308 mi) – in 5 days 5 hr 23 min.
Through his efforts, Eamonn raised €5,939 for the Simon Communities of Ireland, which supports those suffering from homelessness.
He was supported by his friend Méidhbhín Ní Rúiséil, who helped transport his supplies and update his social media. The pair slept overnight at towns along the route.
Eamonn spent around 12 hours on the road each day, taking a “small but often” approach to breaks in order to get some respite from the unicycle’s uncomfortable seat.
“The seat would literally give you a sore bum after a long day of cycling,” he revealed.
Eamonn had anticipated this problem and bought a high-quality pair of cycling shorts and some anti-chafing cream, which he says was worth its weight in gold.
It was his left ankle that unexpectedly ended up suffering the most – Eamonn says it ballooned to the size of a grapefruit, making every turn of the pedal feel “like torture”.
Despite not being able to walk properly for two weeks afterwards, cycling with a swollen ankle was not the hardest aspect of this challenge for Eamonn; it was the time pressure.
There was no previous record to beat, but he had to finish in under six days to achieve it.
Furthermore, having pre-planned all his stopping points along the route, he had the added pressure of ensuring he reached his destination every night.
“It was sometimes hard toward the end of the day to force myself up on to the unicycle for those last few miles,” he recalled.
Interestingly, Simon managed to complete the cross-country journey quicker than a group of cyclists who set off shortly after him.
He said: “They passed me not long after I set out, and I joked that I would catch up with them. When I crossed the finish line in Malin Head five days later, I discovered that they were just over an hour away! So I got to poke fun that I did it on one wheel faster than they did it on two.”
Eamonn had never ridden a unicycle before he decided to attempt this.
It took him a few weeks to learn, then from there he kept practising until he could do over 100 km in a day.
In addition to balancing, there are several things that make riding a unicycle harder than a regular bicycle.
Eamonn explained: “You steer through the seat, so they are much chunkier and not as ergonomically designed as bicycle seats. You also can't stand up and lean on the handlebars like you can on a bike, and you can't freewheel, so you don't even get to enjoy going downhill!
“As long as you are moving, you are pedalling. Hence my ankle swelling up from overuse.”
Eamonn is delighted to have finally achieved this record, which has been several years in the making.
He said: “It took sweat and blood to achieve it, and it's amazing to be able to say to myself that I actually managed to do it.
“It's very important not to put yourself into a box and decide before you've tried something that you would never be able to do it.
“I'm immensely appreciative of all the support I got, between donations, well-wishers, witnesses and my amazing one-person support crew, Méidhbhín. There's only one name on the record certificate, but a huge number of people helped me out, and it wouldn't have been possible without them.”
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