London resident undertakes Happy Hearts Tour in north Mayo
A London resident is currently celebrating his 60th birthday by making his way on foot from Carrowteigue to Crossmolina in north Mayo – a distance of 65km – on what is an ambitious charity walk.
Peter Corcoran, who lives in Wembley, was born to north Mayo parents and the walk is raising money for the Irish Heart Foundation as both of his parents died from heart-related illness.
The walk – entitled the Happy Hearts Tour – commenced in the very early hours of this morning, with Peter stopping to meet friends in Bangor earlier before continuing on to a finish in Crossmolina by 7.30 or 8 this evening.
Why Carrowteigue to Crossmolina? Well, Peter's late parents, Alex and Breege (nee Burns) Corcoran, reared a family of nine children in Crossmolina, where they had a drapery shop. They also had a shop in Bangor and a travelling business that served the entire 65km route. Both of them loved to walk, and the family would walk a 10-mile route every other Sunday during the spring and summer.
“Sadly,” said Peter, “we lost both parents to heart-related illness and supporting the Irish Heart Foundation is very close to my family's thoughts.”
Peter started off at at midnight following on from birthday/walk celebrations in Connolly's Lounge in Stonefield, Carrowteige.
He is following an extended route to Crossmolina via Glenamoy, Bangor, Bellacorick and into Crossmolina.
Peter grew up in Crossmolina but has lived in London for most of his adult life. “I have worked at Cricklewood bus garage, London, wheeling my fellow Irish people around for the last 35 years,” he explained.
He also got involved in local politics in his adopted home. “During my tenure as councillor for Brent, I was the only Lib-Dem councillor ever to be elected to the flagship ward that accommodates Wembley National Stadium. I even passed up on premium FA Cup final tickets for a little boat time on Lough Conn!”
A veteran of Ironman events, Peter is no stranger to strenuous exercise. “That said,” he stated, “ultra walks are very different and new to me, so using the same muscle group beyond eight hours has its challenges.”
And Peter, who requests that people support the Irish Heart Foundation instead of giving him birthday presents, departs with a little advice: “Look after your heart and your heart will look after you! It's as old as the hills but as important as ever.”