Warm Welcome Back for Good Friday Morning Hospice Walk

A Ballymacelligott trio from left: Noreen Reidy, Carmel and Bridget Sheahan were taking part in the Kerry Hospice Foundation Good Friday morning walk in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Taking part in the Kerry Hospice Foundation Good Friday morning walk in Castleisland were: Sheila Prendiville, Brendan Marau, Castleisland and Josephine Barton, Farranfore. ©Photograph: John Reidy

The collectors at the return of the Kerry Hospice Foundation Good Friday morning walk in Castleisland included from left: Audrey O’Sullivan, Eileen McCarthy, Mary Healy, Liz Galwey and Sheila Fleming. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Helen Prendiville (left) and Donna Mitchell at the start of the Kerry Hospice Foundation Walk in Castleisland on Good Friday morning. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Pauline and Denise O’Callaghan with Alan, Ruairí, Rían and Roisín O’Gorman with Aideen and Georgie O’Callaghan at the start of the Kerry Hospice Foundation Good Friday morning walk in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

There was an air of unspoken celebration in Castleisland on Good Friday morning at the return of an old favourite.

The Good Friday Morning Hospice Walk was back ‘after a bit of a hiatus’ as chairman of the local fundraising branch, Jack Shanahan described the lock-down period of the last couple of years which prevented the walk from taking to the roads of the area.

Weather Very Kind

“We were delighted to be able to put the walk back on our programme of fundraising events and needless to say that all money raised goes straight to the Kerry Hospice Foundation at University Hospital Kerry.

“We had a great turnout on Friday morning and the weather was very kind to us and we’re very grateful to the people who came out and walked and donated,” said Jack.

A Whole Day’s Takings

“Nana Bea’s were incredible to the cause on Friday again. Not only did they open their doors to us and our walkers but they also donated their whole day’s takings in the restaurant.

“It looks like we will have a donation of around €2,000 for the hospice foundation and that’s very good for our first day back given the circumstances that many people find themselves in at present,” he said.

Veered Away from the Hill

The walk started and finished in the library car park as it has done since it veered away from the more hilly route on College Road and around Churchtown in 2018.

And since then, Nana Bea’s has been to the fore with its post walk services to the walkers and its generosity to the hospice cause.

Back the Yard for Scones and Tea

Nowadays the walk takes its participants on the much flatter route through the town from the library car park and around by the Black Road, in along Church Street, down by the side of Garvey’s SuperValu, up Barrack Street and back the yard for the tea and scones.

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