Variety – the Children’s Charity of Ireland has launched our first inclusive mobile cycling hub on Saturday 14th February 2026 at O’Boyle Park, Sligo Town, Co Sligo.
In partnership with Comotion Mobility and supported by the HSE, The Department of Transport and The Department of Children, Disability & Equality, Variety Ireland’s “Cycling Inclusion West Mobile Unit”, this new initiative is designed to ensure people with mobility issues have supervised access to cycling on a range of special mobility trikes at locations across Sligo, Roscommon, Mayo, Leitrim, Galway and Donegal every month.
This fleet of special mobility bikes includes wheelchair bikes, side-by-side tandems, which will provide safe cycling access to people across the disability spectrum for people in the west of Ireland. This will provide equal access to everyone to experience and enjoy cycling on a range of special mobility trikes.
Launching the event was Minister of State at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Emer Higgins who was joined by Assistant National Director, HSE Disability Services, Aoife O’Donohue.
Talking at the launch of Variety Ireland’s “Cycling Inclusion West Mobile Unit, Minister of State with special responsibility for Disability, Emer Higgins said “Inclusive cycling, like Variety Ireland’s new mobile unit removes barriers and expands possibilities for people with additional needs. They offer a range of new adapted bikes and supportive coaching in flexible environments, making cycling accessible to people with physical, sensory, cognitive, and emotional differences across the West of Ireland. Inclusive cycling builds confidence, independence, and joy while supporting physical health and mental wellbeing. It creates shared spaces where families, carers, and communities ride together, not separately. When routes, programmes, and attitudes are designed inclusively, everyone benefits. Inclusion is not about special treatment; it is about fair access. As Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, it is my aim to ensure disabled people have the freedom, dignity, and happiness that cycling can bring for to people of ages, abilities, cultures, and life stages.”
Assistant National Director, Access & Integration at Disability Services, HSE, Dr Aoife O’Donohue, commented “Inclusion Cycling West is a powerful example of what can be achieved when organisations come together to remove barriers and broaden possibilities for people with disabilities. The HSE is delighted to work in partnership with Variety Ireland on this important initiative, which strengthens our shared commitment to inclusion, participation and access for all. By working in partnership with children and families, CDNTs, disability service providers and community groups, we can create real opportunities for children and adults with additional needs to take part in community life in ways that support movement, participation and joy. We are also delighted to see plans progressing to expand this model across all HSE Regions, with the Northeast next up to have their own travelling Inclusive cycling mobile unit. This represents an exciting step toward a national network that supports inclusion and wellbeing for people with disabilities in every part of the country.”
Head of Programmes at Variety Ireland, Kevin O’Brien said ”As a charity which celebrates our 75th anniversary in Ireland this year, we are delighted to unveil our new “Travelling Cycling Inclusion West Mobile Unit” which is a real game changer for people with mobility issues in the west of Ireland who can or want to start cycling. Thanks to the support of the HSE, The Department of Transport and The Department of Children, Disability & Equality. we opened Ireland’s first dedicated Inclusion Cycling Centre of Excellence in Clondalkin, Dublin in October 2025 where people with mobility issues can come along and learn to cycle on a range of special mobility trikes in a supervised environment. Our “Cycling Inclusion West Mobile Unit” is different because we will take to the road at weekends, all year round and during weekdays over the summer to selected venues across the west of Ireland. They will visit different counties in the west where people with mobility issues can come along and learn to cycle or simply join in on a full range of fully adapted bikes.”
Kevin O’Brien continued “This is all possible thanks to the cross-department support of Comotion Mobility who are running this operation with Variety Ireland, Aoife O’Donohue and her colleagues at the HSE, The Department of Transport and The Department of Children, Disability & Equality. Thanks to their continued support, we already have further plans to roll out more static and mobile cycling units like this across Ireland in 2026/2027. Along with a list of venues being published on our website and social media, we will also be working in partnership with local radio stations and media in each region to publish the locations of our traveling mobile cycle unit. This initiative is designed to be fun and supports inclusion along with equal access to cycling for people with mobility issues. This in turn contributes to both the mental and physical well-being of the user and other family members. We were delighted to welcome families who came along to the launch of this event where both children and adults with mobility issues got the chance to sample and enjoy cycling on our extensive range of special mobility bikes. Check out our website and social media platforms for a list of locations where our mobile unit will be visiting in the coming months.”
