Belfast-based funeral director Micky Mallon has just completed the five-day Benidorm or Bust rally to raise money for Mencap Northern Ireland, alongside two of his cousins. The trio of Mallons travelled across three countries in an Audi estate decked out to look like Del Boy’s vehicle du jour, complete with banana yellow paint job and fake rust stains, bearing the legend ‘Mallons Independent Trading Co – Belfast. France. Spain’.
It’s the third year running that Mallon of Mallon Brothers Funeral Directors and his cousins, Kevin and Davy, have taken part in the rally. Last year their vehicle was fashioned into a tank, and they raised the money to buy a minibus for a local youth club.
“We’re a bunch of working class lads who want to help other working class people. Kevin, Davy and I do a lot for different charities because we always want to give something back,” Mallon says. “We fund everything
ourselves – all the fuel, food, hotels and everything – so that 100% of the money we raise goes to charity.”
Mallon’s cousins run their own businesses, which include cyber security, catering and cars. The rally starts in England, traverses France and crosses Spain from Bilbao in the north to Benidorm on the east coast. “I’d say we had the farthest to come starting in Belfast,” Mallon mentions.
They journeyed first to Liverpool and on to Dover before the rally even started, covering a total of 3,218km
(just under 2,000 miles) in six days. “The first couple of days were hard going”, he says. With driving rain and very limited visibility, but the weather had improved by the time they pitched up across the Spanish border and kept getting better. Once they crossed the finishing line, a cold beer or two was in order before
starting the journey homeward. Back in Belfast, Mallon says the ‘Mallonmobile’ will be “reincarnated as Coke tins”.
The donations page will remain open for a few weeks at https://gofund.me/c6f3de655.
