Connacht and Ireland Rugby star Jack Carty is off on a marathon session for Christmas, visiting twelve premises in one 24-hour burst — but Connacht coach Stuart Lancaster has nothing to worry about … these Twelve Clubs of Christmas are of the padel variety!

Because the Athlone native is co-owner of Project Padel, the first padel facility in Galway and the West, located at Corrib Retail Park, Carrowbrowne, on the outskirts of the city — and he and three of his colleagues are undertaking this nationwide marathon for a great cause.

Over one long day next Wednesday, Jack, his co-owner Fergal Hynes and padel coaches João Pequita and Aisling Joyce will play at twelve padel clubs around the country, raising money for Galway charity HopeSpace in the process.

HopeSpace is a children’s grief support service in Galway — and it is also an official charity partner of Connacht Rugby, which is how the international out-half came into contact with them at the start of the season.

Jack and his three fellow travellers will set out from their own Project Padel base at 4am next Wednesday to arrive at Padel 54 in Belfast by 8am.

After a visit to two more Belfast clubs, their whistlestop tour of Ireland will then bring them to padel clubs in Santry, Celbridge, Tallaght, Wicklow, Cork and Limerick — hopefully arriving back in Galway before 1am that morning.

They will have an iDonate facility for donations and they will also be collecting for the charity at their own facility over the next while. Further details on how to support them in their quest are available from the Project Padel Instagram page or from projectpadel.ie.

Caption: Jack Carty…fundraising padel marathon.

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