Nine marathons, Nine days : Supporting Cancer Fund for Children

18 August 2026

Each week across the island of Ireland 10 children and young people are diagnosed with cancer.

At any one time over 50 families are on a waiting list for support.

For several years, Arachas, together with The Ardonagh Group and ACT, have rallied behind the mission of Cancer Fund for Children to ensure that no young person faces this experience alone.

Central to combatting the waiting list for help has been the ambition to build a second Daisy Lodge respite centre, where families can enjoy therapeutic breaks in the beautiful countryside of the Emerald Isle when it matters most.

At Daisy Lodge, Cancer Fund for Children and its team of specialists offer care, support, and, most importantly, a chance to connect and laugh for families on a cancer journey

In August 2025, building began at the site of Daisy Lodge in Cong, Co. Mayo, which is on track to open its doors in early 2027 – joining the provision of Daisy Lodge in Newcastle, Co. Down.

In the lead up to the centre officially opening, further vital funds are being raised to ensure Daisy Lodge 2.0 provides the best possible service to all those who come to stay – which is where The Trilogy challenge comes in.

Introducing The Trilogy

Since 2021, Irish rugby legend and ACT Trustee Rory Best will lead his third epic walking challenge for Cancer Fund for Children, The Trilogy.

From 12 to 20 September, Rory, plus business leaders from Ireland and around the world will take on nine marathons over nine days, covering over 235 miles/380km throughout Ireland.

Participants can expect to tread 50,000 steps a day as the challenge takes in Derry/Londonderry, Belfast, Dublin, Kildare, Carlow, Cork, Limerick and Galway before finishing in Cong, Co. Mayo at the site of the new Daisy Lodge.

Rory Best has already led two Miles 2 Mayo walking challenges.

Arachas spearhead support

Once again, Arachas are fully behind the challenge – not only as The Trilogy’s headline sponsor, but also on the ground with many colleagues taking part along the route plus fundraising on each leg of the journey.

Going a step further, Arachas colleagues Julie Galbraith, Chief Business Officer & General Counsel, and David Jermyn, Head of Corporate Development, are taking on the full nine-day challenge.

Meanwhile, Arachas colleagues across the business seek to collectively complete the total distance of all nine marathons on the challenge's launch day, by covering over 300 miles on step walkers, rowing machines and more.

Along the powerful journey, several leaders from across Ardonagh will also be walking, including from Group, Ardonagh Europe and Envest.

The Trilogy acts as a fitting way to reflect on the role of Arachas and the Group more widely in being instrumental in the sums raised to enable Daisy Lodge 2.0 to open – and which will be marked by ‘The Ardonagh Wing’ in the centre.

The journey so far

In 2021, Rory completed his first Rory’s Miles 2 Mayo challenge, walking 180 miles from Daisy Lodge in Newcastle, Co. Down to the then future site of Daisy Lodge 2.0 in Cong, Co. Mayo, raising over €1 million.

With Arachas as sponsor, the second Rory’s Miles 2 Mayo challenge in 2023 saw Rory walk 220 miles from Dublin’s Aviva Stadium to Cong, raising €1.5 million, breaking ground on the new Daisy Lodge on arrival.

In 2025, Rory’s mantle was taken up by Belfast business leader, Roger Johnston, through the 26 Mountains 2 Mayo challenge with Arachas once again lending their efforts alongside a team of business leaders to climb the highest peak in every county across the island of Ireland to cover 11,000 m in elevation and raising over €1.8 million.

26 Mountains 2 Mayo took place in 2025, with business leaders scaling peaks across the Emerald Isle.

Arachas colleagues have been phenomenal in their support.

The pathway to Daisy Lodge

Since the build started in August 2025, there has been great headway made. Over the past year the structure has been complete, and now teams are busy working on the interior of the centre to bring Daisy Lodge to life ahead of its opening in 2027.