6th annual Offaly Camino Canal Way Walk a great success

The annual Offaly Camino Canal Way Walk took place on a new date of Sunday, February 5 to coincide with and celebrate St Brigid's Day Bank Holiday weekend.

The Offaly Camino Canal Way committee and friends hosted the sponsored walk in aid of Self Help Africa, and at present has raised close to €20,000 for the charity's work in Africa.

The organisers thank everybody who took part and helped raise funds for Self Help Africa, especially the many participants from across the midlands and beyond and the children from various clubs and schools in Offaly who helped raise funds and walked.

The event had a great turnout of participants and some extra four-legged friends who completed the 22km walk along the canal from Tullamore to Croghan with the final few steps up Croghan Hill where St Brigid's Holy Mass was said by Fr Greg Corcoran, parish priest of Croghan.

Specially blessed wreaths were left with a prayer and blessings at the Fiona Pender Memorial and the Aisling Murphy Memorial as the walkers walked past along the canal and said quiet prayers at each of the memorials.

Ronan Scully of Self Help Africa thanked all those who had supported the 6th annual charity walk, especially Laz Molloy and his family and all the committee members who organised the event.

Ronan also thanked Sean Rowe who organised a head shave and beard shave on the top of Croghan Hill on the day and raised funds for Self Help Africa.

If you would like to support the work of Self Help Africa or organise a fundraiser for the charity's work in 18 countries in Africa and the developing world, please contact Ronan at ronan.scully@selfhelpafrica.org or go to www.selfhelpafrica.org or contact Ronan at (087) 6189094.