A retired man has completed an epic adventure kayaking around Ireland to raise money to help combat homelessness in Cornwall.
Mike Conroy, 62, paddled around 2,000 miles as part of the Kayak Demelza fundraiser in aid of St Petrocs.
The mammoth voyage started at Port Patrick, near Stranraer in Scotland, from where Mike paddled to near Belfast in Northern Ireland.
It took Mike 74 days to travel clockwise around Ireland as he became only the 29th person to solo paddle around the island.
He decided to continue his journey to the Isle of Man for good measure as the weather was calm.
The former IT worker was then weather-bound on the Isle of Man for a week before paddling for nine-and-a-half hours across to England landing at St Bees in the Lake District where he was met by his wife Marianne.
Mike enjoyed all manner of wildlife and also meeting people along the way who helped him on his journey.
He said: “The paddle was beyond brilliant, life changing and very, very wet.
“People always ask what wildlife I’ve seen. There were Manx shearwaters, puffins – lots in patches – storm petrels and quite a few dolphins.
“I was helped by so many people for which I am very grateful.
“An especially big thank you for anyone who gave me free stuff, took me into their homes, showered me, washed my clothes, fed me delicious food, sat and nodded at the appropriate time as I drivelled on in a state of half-crazed euphoria and exhaustion, played the accordion, gave me Victory Vs, commented on my posts and said kind things.
“The world is stuffed with good kind people.
“And an especially enormous thank you for charity contributions past and future. They help the people who need it most, especially in these hard times when so many are fighting to keep going.
“I’m supporting St Petrocs in appreciation of my parents-in-law who have supported this charity over two decades.”
Mike, from Newquay, previously paddled around the Cornish coastline in aid of Surfers Against Sewage and 1,600km around Southern England last summer.
He has so far raised more than £2,000 towards his £3,000 target for St Petrocs. He plans to raise further funds by writing a book about his adventure.
To make a donation visit www.stpetrocs.org.uk/fundraisers/solo-kayak-around-ireland