Ballyduff group heads to Listowel for a hearty walk along River Feale
Active Retirement group in yearly fundraising walk
A TRIP to Listowel is a heartening exercise at the best of times but when you hit the town for its stunning Fealeside river walk in aid of a vital charity and cap the trip off with a visit to John B’s you’ve already taken a major step towards buttressing your physical, emotional and mental health.
Take it from the members of the Ballyduff Active Retirement Group who decided upon nearby Listowel as the destination for their annual fundraising ramble to mark the Irish Heart Foundation’s National Walk for Your Heart.
With the spectre of heart disease still a major shadow in Irish lives, it was a fairly vital occasion all involved took part in.
Listowel was chosen as it remains one of the group’s favourite locations of all - the stunning ten-time Tidy Towns gold medal winner offering everything from beautiful river and parklands walks to a first-rate market town experience on its heritage streets.
“Taking part in the annual Irish Heart Foundation’s National “Walk For Your Heart” has been a regular event for many years for our members in the Ballyduff Active Retirement Group,” member and organiser Bob Scott told The Kerryman.
“For 2017 they chose to re-visit one of their favorite locations, the River Walk along the River Feale, in Listowel.
“The tree-lined loop along the river, enfolding the town, with the adventurous clamber under the town bridge, into the Town Park, and culminating in the delightful Garden of Europe, contains variety and interest that are hard to equal,” Bob said, communicating what was very much a group sentiment after Monday’s walk.
They were very lucky with the weather, and, after the walk, of course, needed refreshment, together with a chance to chat about their experiences.
“What better place could there be for this than the friendly surroundings of John B Keane’s Bar? Billy Keane was delighted to see them all, supplying us with the warmest of possible hospitality. and made sure that we were well catered for with tea and cakes, rounding off a perfect day!” Bob added.
He said that the purpose of the walk was to highlight the importance of walking as an exercise, one that is particularly beneficial for the heart, for people of all ages. Over the years the group has walked on Kerry Head, around Lyracrompane, along the river in Castleisland, on the cliffs of Ballybunion, and the equally dramatic Bromore, but Listowel remains one of their favorites.
“The idea of the walk is to underline the importance of walking everyday, not just once a year, and of keeping a healthy heart.”
“The event, coordinated by the Irish Heart Foundation, and always held during the month of September, attracts the participation of thousands of people of all ages and all over Ireland who will have organised and taken part in similar activities. The group received many generous donations during the afternoon, all of which supports the massive work of this important organisation,” Bob said.