1,578,642 steps forward for Westmeath hurling

Vivienne Foley rested her back against the Green Bridge in Mullingar and announced, “60,719 steps”.The electronic yoke she stared at was able to tell her the number of strides taken along the canal bank, since leaving Clondra at ten o’clock the previous morning.Twenty-six people marching together adds up to a whopping million and a half steps and every step of the way was dedicated to the good of Westmeath hurling.Organised by the hard-working Westmeath Hurling Supporters’ Club and spearheaded by the tireless committee of Billy Boyle, Aidan Davitt and Billy Foley, this sponsored walk proved to be an unmitigated success.Along with twenty-five other recruits, conscripts, or enlisted men and women, I took part in this worthwhile fundraiser in aid of Westmeath Underage development Squads.On the beautiful sunny Saturday morning of the bank holiday weekend, I started off walking from Clondra, more out of a sense of duty than anything else.I also happen to believe that those of us on the sideline do not have a right ever to criticise, unless we get in sometime and do something ourselves - instead of the oft “this is what should be done ..etc”.I finished up, forty miles later, having enjoyed one of my most unexpectedly pleasurable couple of days for a long while. The camaraderie, banter, and feeling of fellowship turned this canal hike into more like a stroll in the park with your favourite friends. And while I think of it: what a wonderful amenity we have here in our canal and what a beautiful walk it is at this time of year. Maximum kudos to Waterway Ireland, Royal Canal Amenity Group, and all those responsible for revitalising the canal and making its water and banks accessible to the people. Let us hope it will continue to be used, appreciated and respected. There are now eighty-five miles of unbroken waterway between Spencer Dock and Clondra. This has to be of immense benefit to the Midlands from here on.But, back to the job at hand and the purpose of this exercise. We sometimes take for granted, or even forget, the tremendous amount of voluntary work undertaken by a handful of GAA people, who never become disheartened or disillusioned when the thing is not going too good - as they say. These hardy annuals in every club keep plugging away at promoting the best game in the world - namely hurling. The natural ability of our young hurlers in Westmeath, is as good as anywhere. I heard Brian Coady remark that there wasn’t a team in Kilkenny which would beat the Castletown U-14 hurlers a couple of years back. The biggest job here is to sustain and nurture belief to match that ability. But whether or which, there is no greater start that a parent can give a child than an introduction to a hurling club. When coached properly, hurling is far less dangerous than many other field sports. It is an honest game and all of life is there on the field. There is no finer or more effective character builder. A wise old man once said to me about his family of strapping boys, “the only ones I had any bother rearing, were the ones who didn’t hurl”.Under the umbrellas of the Westmeath Hurling Board and Supporters Club, there is now a structure in place, which should reap benefits in the years to come. Obviously, finance does have a part to play in ensuring that the young lads are looked after. The personnel are there, willing and able - so surely it is up to the rest of us to contribute a few bob when we can. More than anything else in this country, the GAA stood for all that is good in us. It will help to sustain us again in hard times and is the one constant for our youth to fall back on.The organisation behind the walk was impeccable and we were well looked after. What an oasis of pleasure it was to spend the night in Cooney’s Hotel, Ballymahon. ‘Thank you’ to the owners and staff, who went the extra mile for us. Another man who went the extra mile was of course, Billy Boyle; but there were those who felt that calling round at 4am, to ensure that all his charges were safely ensconced in their beds, was taking his caring responsibilities above and beyond the call of duty. (!!)As they say on the airwaves, “the lines are still open”, so anyone who meant to give a few Euro, or those who wish to add sponsorship, no matter how little, please contact: Billy Foley, Billy Boyle, Aidan Davitt, or any of the walkers. (You will know us by the limp!)