Rangers hero Ally McCoist tells Ireland ‘I'll be back' as he hails ‘fantastic' country after gruelling charity cycle
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RANGERS hero Ally McCoist toasted a 555-mile cycle around the island of Ireland to raise funds for research into Motor Neurone Disease with a celebratory pint of Guinness.
He and other sport stars and celebrities set off on the gruelling circuit from Belfast last Sunday in memory of late Scottish rugby legend Doddie Weir.
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Doddie's son Hamish, his wife Kathy, Ally McCoist and Kenny Logan celebrate
Credit: PA
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Ally celebrates after crossing the finish line in Dublin
Credit: PA
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Doddie Weir died from MND in 2022 aged 52
Credit: Getty
Weir died of MND aged 52 in November 2022, after years of campaigning to raise awareness of the condition and funds for research.
The cycle was not without its hiccups along the way.
But there were joyous scenes in Dublin as the team, which also included Kenny and Gabby Logan, completed the journey and they celebrated with bottles of pink prosecco and Guinness.
The journey continued as the cyclists delivered the match ball, which travelled the 555-miles with them, at the British and Irish Lions' 1888 Cup clash with Argentina at the Aviva Stadium.
McCoist told PA: 'I'm a west coast of Scotland man, and it's so similar, absolutely beautiful, green - in some places it's almost lunar with the rocks - it was fantastic.
"The weather we've had last couple of days, beautiful greenery over the Guinness Lake.
'So we're gonna come back, no bikes involved, I'm gonna take the car and we're gonna do a little bit of tour. No bike next time, I can assure you.'
On MND, he said: 'It's arguably the cruellest and most horrible of diseases when you see what it does to you, it eats away at you.
'Big Doddie, what a figure, not just in the rugby world throughout the UK and Ireland, all over.
"He's just a lovable, big character, and it shows no mercy, the disease.
Ally McCoist confesses to 'horrendous' epic fail ahead of final day of Rangers legend's charity bike ride
'You see what it's done to a lot of people, you know, top sports stars, and it doesn't matter who you are, any walk of life, it doesn't pick and choose.
"It's a horrible, horrible disease. I think we're all duty bound to attempt to do something about it.
"If we can help, no matter how small you might think it may be, you've got to do it, because we have to find a cure for it.'
Scottish rugby star Kenny Logan and broadcaster Gabby Logan were among those who took part in Doddie'5 Lions Challenge, cycling around 100 miles a day for six days.
The husband and wife said thinking of how the 'cruel' disease takes away a person's control of their body inspired them to keep going along the most gruelling parts of the cycle.
Kenny Logan thanked the people of Ireland for cheering them on along the way by beeping horns and donating any amount they could.
He said: 'We went to one coffee shop, told her what we were doing. She said 'My uncle died of MD'. She gave us 50 coffees and all the food for free. So it's been amazing.'
Gabby Logan said the final day was 'really physically challenging', as they climbed 1,250 metres in a few hours, but also provided a profound moment for the cyclists through stunning scenery in Co Wicklow.
'There was quite a lot of solitude today, because we weren't going through villages and towns, we were going through beautiful scenery.
"(It gave) a lot of time for people to think about why they're doing this today, and you can see the outpouring of emotion at the end.
'It's about finding cure and a solution to a terrible, terrible disease which just rips away people and their lives and at the moment, there's no hope.'
Asked what Weir would have thought of on Friday, Kenny said: 'He'd think we're idiots, genuinely.'
He said it was 'amazing' to have Weir's wife Kathy on the cycle on the final day, and to have Doddie's son Hamish following the cycle for the week, who was originally meant to take part but had broken his shoulder.
The challenge has raised more than £557,000 for the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association and My Name'5 Doddie Foundation, which Weir set up in 2017, a year after being diagnosed with MND.
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