Walking for Wellness
With Frank Greally
By the time this issue of the RTÉ Guide hits the shelves, I hope to have completed my 13-day walk from Ballyhaunis to e Coombe Hospital in Dublin. I have been averaging 16km of walking each day on a fundraising journey that I call Gratitude Road. It’s been a wonderful journey with good friends who have shared the journey with me, ever mindful of the need to observe safe, social distance. ere have been many stories told and songs sung on my journey from Mayo to Dublin and the walk has de nitely added a new pep to my step.
A lot of the walk has been along the banks of the Royal Canal, a delightful pathway, beautifully maintained by Waterways Ireland. I have found my daily walks by the waters of the canal both re ective and restorative and a balm for the spirit.
Walking on Gratitude Road, I am reminded of a passage in my well-thumbed and o enquoted book, In Praise of Walking by Shane
O’Mara: “ e bene ts of walking aren’t solely con ned to our evolutionary history. Walking is hugely bene cial for our minds, bodies and our communities. Walking is holistic, every aspect of it aids every aspect of one’s being. Walking provides us with a multisensory reading of the world in all its shapes, forms, sounds and feelings, for it uses the brain in multiple ways. Walking together can be one of the best experiences of walking. Social walking – marching in concert and with purpose – can be an e ective goad for real change in society.” I’m looking forward now to some further walks – especially a long promised visit to the three Aran Islands and also a few walks in Wicklow.
I will take a few days to have a few leisurely park walks in Dublin before heading West for a visit to the three Aran Islands. I also have the National Park in Killarney and a few other gems on my to do list.
e walk on Gratitude Road has whetted my appetite and has given me a sense of renewed purpose. I remind myself daily that I never have to walk, I get to walk and I do so with a deep sense of gratitude for every step I am able to take.
e Aran Islands landscape makes an ideal setting for walking at all levels and there are a number of easy to follow looped walks on each of the three Islands that have been developed by Fáilte Ireland in association with the local Island communities. e loops are part of an extended network of looped walks that have been developed countrywide by Fáilte Ireland. ese trails have been designed with the occasional walker in mind and a high level of navigational skills are not required to follow them. e Island Walks are also ideal for anyone new to walking.
e gear needed for walking on the Aran Islands can be the basic trail shoes, or boots, waterproof jacket and trousers, a cap and a comfortable pair of socks that have been broken in over a few previous walks. e levels of walks on the Islands can be described as easy to moderate. It’s always advisable to bring water and a little food on your island walk
National Walking Day 2020 - 27th September! A Celebration of Walking
Get Ireland Walking is calling on people across the country to join our National Walking Day 2020 and celebrate walking, which takes place on 27th September as part of European Week of Sport. Get Ireland Walking is supported by Healthy Ireland and Sport Ireland and hosted by Mountaineering Ireland.
To find out more, visit