World record Welly Walk

I’m probably a bit biased but, for me, spending a couple of days in any part of Ireland, especially Killarney, is worth at least a week in Spain or the south of France. All the worry about getting to the airport on time, locating the right car park and catching the shuttle bus takes the good out of travelling abroad for me. That’s before I have to check in, deal with security, worry about the weight of my luggage and put up with standing in endless queues.

I’ve never had a burning ambition to travel. It never occurred to me to hike around the far east or South America. I did spend a year in Washington and eight months in Germany but in both cases I was working so that doesn’t count.

With our eldest lad working in Riyadh, my husband Sean has suggested we might meet him halfway and spend a few days in Istanbul. Now that doesn’t appeal to me in the slightest. I’d far prefer to take a few days off and have Ian at home with us where I could ply him with good dinners and listen to his stories in comfort.

When it comes to tourism, certain parts of the country are just brilliant at it. We are lucky to live about an hour from Killarney and, in my opinion, it never fails to deliver.

When the children were younger, we’d be up to Moll’s Gap and the Torc Waterfall. Muckross House and its traditional farmyards took an afternoon to explore. The Gap of Dunloe is something else. So, too, is a boat trip on the lakes, while a ride in a jaunting car around the same lakes on a still summer’s evening is just magical. We’d have a picnic, go to the pictures, look at the shops and round off the day listening to street music.

Now we’ll take in a show at the INEC and last weekend was a special treat as I got to go to two of the Nathan Carter shows. Friday night was a concert and, with 2,200 people attending, it was a sellout. Saturday night was more about dancing and again it was sold out. There must have been 4,000 people there.

We stayed in The Brehon and on Sunday morning the place was jammed with welly-wearing guests. They were intent on getting into the Guinness World Records by breaking the record for having the most people walk one kilometre while wearing wellies. The idea was the brainchild of Derry Healy, a self-employed plasterer who had been out of work for two months and was putting in some time reading the Guinness Book of Records. Derry bounced the idea off Paud O’Donoghue, the senior trainer with Glenflesk GAA, and the welly walk was born.

On Sunday morning, young and old, including ourselves, came from all parts, paid our €5 and got ready to walk. We were led out by Nathan Carter and the new bishop of Kerry, Raymond Browne. In all, 3,194 people were in time to officially register for the walk and the old record was well and truly smashed. The money raised will go to Glenflesk GAA with a contribution to the Kerry Stars Special Olympics Club, who all received a great reception from the huge crowds. Congratulations to everyone involved, especially the stewards from the GAA, the INEC, Brehon and Muckross Park hotels. A great idea, well executed and backed by plenty of goodwill. CL