Clocking up the Christmas miles for GOAL

NOW in its 36th year, the GOAL Christmas Morning Miles are almost as established, and markedly less daunting, than Christmas Day swims, and the initiative’s popularity in Kerry is as firm as it is in the rest of Ireland.

Tens of thousands of participants run, jog, or walk a mile annually in aid of GOAL’s programmes in the developing world, and this Christmas will see a number of walks take place in Kerry: in Killarney, Killorglin, Kenmare, Cahersiveen, and Castleisland.

The Kenmare mile takes place at Faungorth Activity Centre from 10am to 12pm, while the South Kerry Sports Centre will host the Cahersiveen equivalent from 10am to 11am. Further details on those two events are with ardmorehousekenmare@ gmail.com and lorcanmurphy@hotmail. com respectively.

Elsewhere in the county, the event at Castleisland Athletic Track takes place from 10.30am to 12.30pm, with further information from catherinebrosnan777@yahoo. ie, while the Mangans, husband and wife Michael and Anne, will take charge of the Killorglin and Killarney events respectively.

“My husband Michael and I were among the first people involved with the GOAL Miles when they came to Kerry,” Anne told The Kerryman. “Michael is involved with the Killorglin event with Kevin Griffin, and it goes from Dragons’ Den, Intermediate School Killorglin (ISK), from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

“The Killarney Mile takes place from Deenagh Lodge between 10am and 12.30pm; there’s no mass start, so roll up whenever suits.

“This year, Killarney’s funds will be split evenly between GOAL and local charity Pieta House Kerry, which both are delighted with.”

Anne and Michael can be contacted at (087) 6891218 and 087 6015163 respectively, with further details www.goalglobal.org.