Young blood to kick-start Mayo's longest running walking festival
by Tom Gillespie
YOUNG blood is being injected to get teenagers involved in the running of the Castlebar International Four Day Walks.
Now in its 59th year, this year’s event kicks off on July 1, when walkers from over a dozen countries will converge on the county town.
The organisers have launched a junior leader programme and have already signed up Lucy Rice and Carter Jordan - grandson of Ernie Sweeney, a founding member of the walks - who will be given posts of responsibility over the four days.
The event will start on Wednesday, July 1, with the flag parade at 6.30 p.m. from the Ivy Tower Hotel, Castlebar. Walking starts on Thursday, July 2, to Achill for the 20k and 10k ramble and walks on the greenway.
On Friday, July 3, the ramble is the Wild Nephin Park, while the 20k and 10k walks are on the Turlough greenway.
On Saturday, July 4, the ramble is on the Keenagh loop, and the walks are on the Graffymore loop.
On Sunday, July 4, the ramble is at Mulranny, with the walks on the Lough Lannagh-Raheenbar loop.
Walks director Rowena Gillespie said bookings were strong and a lot of people were saving themselves for the 60th anniversary next year.
So far entries have been registered from the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Lithuania, Switzerland, USA, Australia, UK, Taiwan, Denmark, Norway and Luxembourg.
She said: “Already we have 250 walkers per day and we hope that will rise to 400 by the end of the month.
“We want to encourage the locals to start booking online as registration will close on June 28.”
The flag parade will end at Collectors Lane where the official opening will be performed by the cathaoirleach of the Castlebar Municipal District followed by an Irish music session.
Michael Baynes, festival president, said: “July 1 will coincide with the commencement of the Irish presidency of the EU and we will mark it by the parade of nations in Castlebar.
“Mayo is paired with Holland for the presidency. We had invited the Dutch Ambassador to Ireland to perform the official opening but because it coincided with the launch of the presidency she had to decline. However, she sent her best wishes for a successful festival and she has promised to visit Castlebar at a later date and meet the festival organisers.”
Rowena continued: “For the 60th anniversary next year we are planning a gala function which also will mark the 40th anniversary of the founding of the International Marching League (IML), of which Castlebar is a founding member, and for which celebrations will take place in Castlebar.”
Oisin Herraghty, another member of the organising committee, added: We will also be celebrating the 50th wedding anniversary of Ernie Sweeney, a founding member of the Castlebar walks, and his wife, Dutch native Suzanna, who met through the walks.”
Rowena continued: “We were the IML delegates at an international conference in Chantonnay, France, last month, where we were accorded a civic reception and we were entertained by the Mayor, Isabelle Moinet. We met loads of people who have been walking in Castlebar and who introduced us to people who are coming to Castlebar next month for the first time.”
Dealing with the junior leader programme, Oisin explained: “We have launched a junior leader programme where we are encouraging teenagers back out on the ramble. We have young walkers on the roads walks but we want to get young walkers back out on the rambles.
“Since Rowena took over the directorship we have got more young walkers involved.
"We have gotten some of the sons and daughters of the leaders to come out with us and in the junior leader programme we have given them a small bit of responsibility, like placing and recovering the marker flags and also if there are other youths on the walks, the youth leaders will look after them and answer any questions they might have. We have given the youth leaders knowledge of the landscapes and views.
“This is also investing in the walks for the next 60 years in setting the seeds for those to carry on the walks in the future.”