Eamon’s legacy lives on in Good Friday walk ‘18

Beloved publican’s memory honoured in charity walk

THE memory of one of the towns most beloved publicans will be honoured again this year at the annual Good Friday Memorial Walk, which takes places next Friday, March 30.

Eamon O’Connor - who passed away a number of years ago, was best known for his own work in helping to promote and organise the walk during his life - is now set to have his life name honoured by the walk for the second year running.

Eamon, who ran the hugely popular ‘Mike The Pies’ bar, was a very well liked character in the town, a popularity shown in the large turn out for last years event.

The Eamon O’Connor Memorial Walk will be in aid of the Kerry Hospice Foundation and will have three different routes - a 10km, a 5km and a 3km route - on the day to ensure that people of all ages and abilities are able to take part.

“The O Connor Family and Listowel Hospice group are organising the Good Friday walk again in Memory of Eamon O Connor, who was a great supporter of the Hospice,” said organisers of the walk.

“Eamon was owner of Mike The Pies and very popular in the town, which was evident in the great turnout last year and the final total raised in excess of €15,000. We look forward to welcoming everybody back again this year and hope for another successful day,” they finished.

The 10k walk as usual will start at St Patricks Hall and go up by Bedford, and back by Dromin, Church Street and up William Street back to the starting point.

Sponsorship cards for the walk will be available at JK Sports, Mike the Pies or from any of the Hospice committee; walkers will also be able to donate when they register on the day. Tea/coffee and a scone will be provided afterwards and new volunteers are always welcome.

“Eamon was always heavily involved in the walk himself preparing for it beforehand and he’d be there at the St Patrick’s Hall helping out with refreshments as the walkers returned,” Eamon’s wife Mary told The Kerryman at the launch of the event in an appeal for all to come to Listowel to walk the 10km route this year.

The Listowel walk is just one of many walks taking place throughout the county on the day, with walks planned in Tralee and Castleisland to name a few.

The event is a vital fundraiser for the Hospice Foundation.

Photo by John Cleary Mary O’Connor (second from right) launching the Good Friday Walk for Hospice in Listowel in memory of her late husband Eamon with, from left, Jenny Tarrant, Joe Hennebery, Eileen Sheehy and Andria O’Donoghue.