Aidan Cycles for Cedd: Keeping Irish Culture Alive in Essex

This summer, Aidan Spence is cycling more than 2,200 miles around Ireland to raise money for the Irish community in Chelmsford and Essex.

Aidan has set himself a fundraising target of £2,200 – £1 for every mile of the journey.

Setting off from Rosslare on 26 June, he will travel the length and breadth of Ireland in support of St Cedd's GAA, St Cedd's Céilí Band, Cúpla Focal na nGael Chelmsford, and the wider work of Chelmsford Irish. Together, these organisations help keep Irish sport, music, language and culture alive for Irish people and their families across Essex.

The ride is called Aidan Cycles for Cedd, named after St Cedd, Essex's Irish-speaking patron saint. In 654 AD, Cedd founded a monastery at Bradwell-on-Sea on the Essex coast. Educated in the Irish monastic tradition associated with Colmcille and Iona, he spoke Irish and helped forge lasting links between Ireland and Essex that endure to this day.

There is also a remarkable connection behind the name. St Cedd was trained under St Aidan of Lindisfarne, one of the great figures of the Irish missionary tradition. More than 1,300 years later, another Aidan is helping strengthen the connection between Ireland and Essex through this journey.

Along the way, Aidan will visit Gaeltacht communities, GAA clubs, traditional music sessions, heritage sites and places connected to Ireland's rich cultural traditions. He hopes to meet the people who keep those traditions alive today, hear their stories, and showcase the deep and enduring links between Ireland and Essex.

By sharing these experiences with the community back home, the journey aims not only to raise funds, but also to celebrate our shared heritage and strengthen the bonds that continue to connect both places.

This challenge is about more than cycling. It is about exploring the relationship between Ireland and Essex, celebrating the communities that keep Irish culture alive, and supporting the organisations that help that connection thrive today.

Every pound raised will go directly towards supporting Irish cultural, sporting and community activities in Chelmsford and mid-Essex, helping ensure they continue to grow and flourish in the years ahead.

If you can, please make a donation and share this page with friends, family and anyone who values Irish culture, community and heritage.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh.

Chelmsford Irish ☘️

"Before England was England, Irish was spoken in Essex."