27/11/2025
I’ve been going back and forth since crossing the finish line on Saturday, trying to figure out how to thank everyone who helped make this year’s Bull Run the best one yet. I made a poor attempt before releasing our remembrance balloon, but emotion got the better of me—and what came out was very short, sweet, and probably hard to understand. (This is honestly tougher than running 64km.) So bear with me, because there are many people I want to thank.
Firstly, to the team that made a dream become real - Con, Cáit, Eimear, Eileen, Linda, Ryan, Jimmy, Eoin, Denise, Merp and Ger. The Bull Run is getting bigger every year, and this year I wanted to make it something truly special, something memorable, something people would want to be part of. I knew it was time to grow the team beyond just myself and Con, and I couldn’t have picked a better group.
Ye helped turn a dream into a reality, and ye deserve as much credit as anyone, because without ye, none of what happened on Saturday would have been possible. Watching us all come together to build this is something we should be so proud of. I honestly can’t wait to see what we create next year!
I’ve said this before and I will say it many more times in the future - Being able to do all of this is incredible, but being able to do it with my best friends and family? Well it doesn’t get any better than that!
Thank you to the families of Dave Daly, Denis Kelly, Peter Gullane, Dickie Morris, Jorge Tapia, Ronnie Lawless, Ali McDonnell and Brendan Shaughnessy for trusting me with their memories.
The joy, the emotion, the pride on the faces of so many people at the end of each stage and throughout each stage is something that will stay with me forever. There is no better feeling in the world than seeing genuine happiness like that—happiness rooted in remembrance and love.
There were loads of special moments throughout the day, but one that summed it all up for me was finishing Maggot’s Stage (Stage 9). Every muscle and bone was aching, and I was struggling, but when I turned the corner and finished Maggot’s stage and saw Mr. Shaughnessy cheering me on, seeing what it meant to him that we were celebrating his son… there are no words for that 💚
That moment hit me deep. It summed up everything I wanted this year’s run to be. A reminder that even though some of our loved ones have been gone for years, they are never forgotten, and never will be.
I have amazing photos from throughout the day, and I can’t wait to share them with you over the next couple of weeks so you can see for yourselves just how special the day was and for that, we have to thank Mike and his superstar son, Sam Murphy—our newest Bull Run team members.
It was a long, long day, but they followed me for over 10 hours, capturing the heart and soul of what made this Bull Run special.
Sam—you’re an incredible young man with a very bright future ahead of you and I’m honoured that the Bull Run is now part of your story.
And Mike—thank you for being there from before 9am in O’Sullivans until after 6.30pm at the finish line, always smiling, always ready. Watching a father and son do something they love together was just class! I can’t thank you both enough.
To Emmet and the staff at The Trappers,
Thank you for looking after us Saturday night.
Trappers means so much to everyone who grew up in Mervue and nearby and we’ve shared so many amazing days and nights there—many with the very people we remembered on the run. I’m delighted we added another special night to that long list of memories. As always, Emmet and his staff went above and beyond and it was so greatly appreciated!
To Gary and the team at Safety Direct
I just want to say thanks once again for kitting us out. I give Gary plenty of headaches every year, but he always delivers and trust me you won’t find better quality or better service anywhere in town.
To everyone who ran with me throughout the day - thank you! Having so many people join in during the run was unbelievable. Every stage was special, and the chats, the stories, and the craic gave me a massive boost as we powered our way through the 64km.
Stage 8—Ali’s stage—nearly finished me, not from running pain but from laughing at Mike, Billy, Gary Warde and the lads 🤣 The slagging brought me right back to being a kid out in Bernie and Mike’s back garden or in there front room listening to the lads tear lumps out of each other. It was just like old times, and it was class 💚
A special mention to Rynal Browne, who ran the final four stages with me—over 25km. His small chats and bits of advice kept me moving when everything hurt. I genuinely could not have pushed through those last stages without him.
On a personal level, one of the most meaningful parts of this year’s run was being able to share it with my daughter Cailynn. She started the run with me, and she finished it with me too. To have her by my side at both the first step and the last step of such an emotional day is something I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.
Crossing the finish line with both Cailynn and my niece Abbie beside me was the perfect ending. Seeing them there in that final moment made the whole day even more special. It’s a memory I’ll treasure forever 💚
To Mike at Gooners V. Cancer and some legends close to home belonging to the Arsenal Supporters Club across the pond, I don’t have the words to thank ye for the support ye have given me.
Through grief comes triumph, and that’s exactly what this new relationship between The Bull Run and Gooners V Cancer represents. As I told ye, we are only beginning to scratch the surface!
And if someone could relay to Paul Merson that I’m actually not “A big Gooner” I am in fact—as Sully constantly called me—“a Manc B*****d,” that’d be great. 😜
To everyone who donated, sent messages, bibbed a horn on the street, sent videos of well wishes -
I reserve my biggest “Thank you” for ye 💚
Sully always told me to be proud of where I’m from, and I can honestly say there’s nobody prouder. The love and support over the last three years has been incredible, and I can’t wait to keep growing this event.
I wore over 200 names on my jersey for the final stage this year. It was emotional, but an absolute honour to remember and celebrate so many amazing people from our community that we have sadly lost over the years. We set the bar sky high this year of what The Bull Run can be but I am already looking forward to next year to see if we can top it!
I would like to say a few special words for George Guest to let him know we are all thinking of him. Hearing that you wanted me to call in after the run meant more than I can explain. The moment I walked in, your warmth and strength hit me straight away. It was emotional, unforgettable, and something I’ll always carry with me. Know that the whole community is behind you. We’re all in your corner. Keep that Arsenal scarf flying George— you’ve got this 💚
And finally, to my Uncle John, aka Sully, The Bull himself. There isn’t a day that passes where you’re not in my thoughts. The void you left is impossible to fill, because you were so much more than an uncle—you were a mentor, a friend, and one of the biggest influences in my life. Through this incredible event, “The Bull Run”, I’ll continue telling your story for many years to come, all while helping others, celebrating and remembering the Mervue and Galway community you were always so proud of 💚
See ye next year!
Hon The Bull 💪🏻
