Mayo man breaks Guinness World Record for longest barefoot walk

On day 185 of his journey across Europe, 32-year-old Eamonn Keaveney broke the Guinness World Record for the longest barefoot walk.

That was on Thursday last, September 4, at the border of Hungary and Austria.

Eamonn is currently making his way from Istanbul in Turkey to his hometown of Claremorris, Co. Mayo, aiming to walk 5,500km completely barefoot.

His journey began back in March and he hopes to reach his final destination before Christmas.

For Eamonn, this walk is about more than breaking the Guinness World Record. With a fundraising goal of €10,000, Eamonn is asking people to support his challenge by making a donation to his iDonate page.

All the funds raised will be equally split between Friends of the Earth, Ireland’s leading environmental campaigning organisation, and Jigsaw, who provide mental health support to young people in Ireland.

In conversation with Friends of the Earth before Eamonn embarked on his journey, he expressed his motivations for this challenge.

“The nature of these things is that I’ve these personal challenges that appeal to me and are things that I want to do,” said Eamonn. “But then when you're doing something like that, it also gives you an opportunity to raise money for a good cause and to give a platform to such a cause.”

Ruth Jedidja Stael, supporter care and fundraising officer at Friends of the Earth, stated: “We are so honoured to be sharing the funds with Jigsaw because we know that the climate crisis is a mental health crisis too. So many young people are experiencing anxiety, fear and overwhelm because of what climate chaos means for their future and the future of our only home – planet Earth.

“Time and time again, we’ve seen the hope that people get when they start taking action on the climate crisis with us. Whether it’s getting involved in Friends of the Earth’s campaigns, attending our events or organising climate conversations or fundraisers in their local communities, people’s despair in the face of climate breakdown turns to hope when they start taking action to address it.

“In particular, there’s something very powerful about joining with other people to push for climate solutions collectively; this is something that we’re very passionate about at Friends of the Earth. We’re always trying to connect people so that they can join together in their communities, have conversations about climate issues, and push for fast and fair climate action in a meaningful way.

“We may feel powerless on our own but working together, we can care for our planet, stand in solidarity with those who are already suffering from climate impacts, and protect the wellbeing of generations to come.”

Ruth added: “Eamonn cares deeply about tackling the climate crisis in a fair way that protects those who are most impacted by it. We sometimes use the term 'climate justice' to describe this approach to climate action. He’s very passionate about the future of our shared planet – wildlife, nature and all people.

“This walk is about shining a light on and supporting the work we do here at Friends of the Earth and for the young people in Ireland that Jigsaw supports through their services. We have so much gratitude for every barefoot step he is taking.”

You can check out Eamonn’s Instagram page to follow his journey. He has been posting each day with a little update on how he and his feet are getting on.

Eamonn is no stranger to long-distance barefoot walks – or to breaking Guinness World Records, for that matter. In 2016 he completed the world’s longest barefoot journey, spanning over 2,000km in Ireland. He followed this up two years later by climbing 10 mountains across Ireland barefoot in 10 days. Later, in 2023, he unicycled from Mizen Head, the southernmost point of Ireland, to Malin Head, the northernmost point of Ireland, breaking the record for the fastest crossing of Ireland by unicycle.

Friends of the Earth Ireland is a part of Friends of the Earth International – the largest grassroots network of environmental activists and groups in the world, linking grassroots, national and global struggles to protect both people and nature.