Rahan woman is hiking the length of Ireland to support Offaly Hospice

When asked about the physical challenges she's undertaken over the years, Rahan woman Ann Marie Larkin modestly replies that she has "done a few bits."

It just so happens that these have included running 100 miles in under 24 hours, completing more than 100 marathons, and running across the Sahara desert and the Arctic circle.

"I do a little bit of everything, and it's sometimes a case of the longer and crazier the better," she said.

Ann Marie is now approaching the half-way stage of her latest challenge, hiking the length of the island of Ireland in order to raise funds for the Offaly Hospice Foundation.

She set up an online GoFundMe campaign to invite donations for the Hospice in support of her hike, and at the time of writing €1,910 had already been raised for this important cause.

Ann Marie, who retired from the Defence Forces in 2018, and is not to be confused with athlete Ann Marie McGlynn (née Larkin) from Mucklagh, set off on her all-Ireland hike on Monday, August 22.

She reached the first major milestone of the journey last Saturday, August 27, when she passed 265km, a quarter of the way through the 1,000 kilometre trek from Castletownbere, in Cork, to Ballycastle in Antrim.

She hopes to make the halfway point, Ballymoe in county Galway, this Sunday, and her target is to complete the hike after 26 days, on September 18.

The Ballincloghan, Rahan, woman served in the Army for 22 years, and for the majority of that time she was stationed in McKee Barracks, Dublin.

She enjoys the outdoor life and likes to challenge herself on a yearly basis.

The current hike was chosen as this year’s challenge, and she said her military experience stood to her as she mapped out the journey and planned the logistics, which have included a mixture of camping and indoor accommodation each night.

When she spoke by phone to the Offaly Independent on Monday, Ann Marie had just left Cappawhite, a village north of Tipperary town, and was en route to another Tipperary village, Milestone.

Some fellow ex-military friends have been helping with some of the organisation and supplies needed along the way. One friend in Kerry provided her with accommodation for two of the nights and also looked after Ann Marie’s backpack while she hiked.

“I’m carrying a pack of 12.7kg, and obviously if I don’t have to carry that I’m a happier woman! I have it today, because I’m camping tonight and tomorrow night, but where I can take assistance I will.”

She was happy with her progress over the first week of the hike, saying the first couple of days had been the toughest.

“The first two days were tough going, along the Beara Way in West Cork. There was a lot of climbing, with wet and boggy conditions. My feet were not too happy with me at all!”

After the first 57 km of the Beara Way, the ground conditions improved. “The next part was the Ballyhoura Way, and now I’m on the Multeen Way,” she said on Monday.

“I am, more or less, following the route called the Ireland Way, but obviously I can deviate from it to suit myself as well. They’re normally the quieter roads, and overall it’s probably 50-50 between road and off-road.”

The trail she is following doesn’t take in her native county, with the closest points to Offaly coming in parts of East Galway, like Portumna and Ballinasloe.

In 2019, Ann Marie did another mammoth hike, called The Bibbulmun Track, in Australia. “That one was 1,003km, so it was similar to this, but it was more remote because there wasn’t a lot between the towns.

“I got that done in 40 days, and I am trying to get this one done in 26 days, so we’ll see how it goes.”

She said she was happy to support Offaly Hospice, saying backing was needed from all parts of the Midlands in order to help get the palliative care service up and running.

You can support Ann Marie’s fundraising hike on her GoFundMe page here.