Born: December 19th, 1947.
Died: February 26th, 2025.
Christy McDaid – teacher, fundraiser and raconteur – was best known as founder of the Willow Wheelers Cycling Club, which was to become remarkably successful as an outlet for young people and a supporter of projects benefiting the poorest people living in the developing world.
Born in 1947 in Portobello, Dublin, Christy grew up in his beloved Bundoran, Co Donegal, with his parents and older brother, the late Bishop Emeritus Liam McDaid. They retained a special bond of friendship that endured until Liam died in 2023.
A retired teacher, McDaid taught in Bundoran, Manorhamilton, Presentation Brothers Glasthule and – for the final 25 years of his career – at Willow Park School, Blackrock, Co Dublin, where his brilliance in teaching mathematics was the strong foundation for a great many pupils going into secondary school.
In the words of Willow Wheelers member Fintan Drury, he “was one of the true titans of the teaching fraternity who delivered an education in the fullest meaning of the word, not just academically, but in terms of character, humour and humanity”.
In 1989 he founded the Willow Wheelers, which is now made up largely of current and past students from Willow Park School and Blackrock College. It has grown to become one of Ireland’s largest cycling clubs, initially focusing on the development of junior cyclists and more recently including a growing adult section, fostering a love for cycling among members of all ages.
McDaid’s spirit of adventure led him to bring his community of cyclists on magical two-wheeled trips exploring Ireland and to various parts of Europe, creating friendships among club members that endured well beyond cycling endeavours.
His commitment extended beyond Ireland. Under his leadership, the Willow Wheelers organised annual 100-mile charity cycles to raise funds for water, health and education projects in Africa, South America and the Far East.
Each May bank holiday for the past 35 years, hundreds of adults and junior members of the club completed their 100 miles and raised millions of euro for charitable causes. These efforts supported projects which improved countless lives in the most disadvantaged parts of the developing world. The money raised went to Irish missionaries working in deprived areas in need of funding for local projects, all of which were meticulously followed by McDaid to ensure all funds went directly to making a positive impact.
His commitment to those in need led him to organise annual trips for club members to visit these projects, which nurtured the seeds of generosity of spirit in the young minds who would accompany him from Willow Park School and Blackrock College. That collective effort instilled a sense of moral obligation among young fundraisers to support less well-off people, a trait that stayed with many of them throughout their lives. The trips included visits to Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania, The Gambia, Vietnam and Brazil.
[ Willow Wheelers finish 160km trek to raise funds for KenyaOpens in new window ]
In recognition of his many contributions to teaching, the club and wider society, he received the 2017 President’s Award from the Blackrock College Past Pupils Union. At the award function, his former students reminisced about great times on their Willow Wheelers cycling trips and spoke about how McDaid taught them far more than academics: about the power of compassion, the importance of community and joy of giving back.
For him, solidarity and team spirit could be fostered in cycling just as much as on the rugby field, and this activity was as good as any in making intergenerational connections. For many, wrestling with the inevitable challenges of teenage years, cycling with Willow Wheelers was a constant and always welcoming break associated with fun rather than peer pressure.
McDaid particularly enjoyed following the progress of his students as they made their own adventures in life after school. He took great joy out of friends coming together and sharing conversation. He delivered his stories and messages to a captive audience at his own relaxed tempo, which came to be known as “Donegal time”.
He died on February 26th, 2025, after a short illness. His commemorative Mass at the Church of the Assumption, Booterstown, Co Dublin, was attended by a large number of his former students; teaching colleagues, cycling comrades and close friends. It was followed by a drive through the grounds of Willow Park School and Blackrock College before burial in Bundoran.
He is survived by his partner, Mirette, cousins and extended family.
