ONE walkers enjoy break at Mullingar Harbour
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Members of the Mullingar branch of ONE and Cllr Liam McDaniel, cathaoirleach, Westmeath County Council, met the walkers at Mullingar Harbour on Thursday, (from left) Mick Kinahan, national president, ONE; Mick Quinn, Mullingar branch, ONE; Eugene Stenson, treasurer, Mullingar branch, ONE; Danny McEntee, president, Mullingar branch, ONE; Cllr McDaniel; Chris Grimes, Mullingar branch, ONE; Tony Jessup, chairman, Mullingar branch, ONE; Christy McKenna, secretary, Mullingar branch, ONE; and Sean Elliffe, Mullingar branch, ONE.Image 2 of 4
The group of walker, along with supporters, local ONE members and piper Joe Gavin from Mullingar, just before they departed Mullingar Harbour to continue their walk to Dublin.Image 3 of 4
Joe Gavin, Mullingar piper, who escorted the group from Mullingar Harbour to Piper’s Boreen, on their way to Thomastown on Thursday, with Ken Cleary, Sgt Pat Mulcahy Branch, ONE (left), and Jimmy Fulham, Sgt Pat Mulcahy Branch, ONE.Image 4 of 4
Hugh O’Neill, Senior Petty Officer in the Naval Reserve, age 76, with his son Capt Andrew O’Neill, who is stationed at the Curragh Camp ( transport group) and who has recently returned from overseas service in Syria, were in the group doing the walk.Members of the Mullingar branch of Óglaigh Náisiúnta na hÉireann greeted colleagues on a fundraising hike of the Famine Trail in warm sunshine at Mullingar Harbour last Thursday morning.
The group, including Irish Defence Forces veterans and three serving members, were on their way from the National Famine Museum at Strokestown, County Roscommon, to Custom House Quay in Dublin, and were walking the 170km over a week.
Mick Kinahan, national president of Óglaigh Náisiúnta na hÉireann/ the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel (ONE), and also chairperson of Sgt Pat Mulcahy Branch DSM, based at McKee Barracks, Dublin, was present in Mullingar as part of the support crew for the walkers.
Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, he said one of their members, Jimmy Fulham, was the inspiration for the walk. “He must’ve done seven and a half thousand miles of walking fundraisers; he suggested this, it took wings and here we are.
"We’re in Mullingar now and the effort that’s been put in is unbelievable. The youngest of the veterans (doing the walk) is 62, the oldest is 76, and one of the serving members of the Defence Forces is the son of the oldest member here – Hugh and Andy O’Neill.
“It’s fantastic; the reception at Strokestown House was brilliant; and Westward Scania Strokestown Ireland were there as sponsors.”
There are further links to Strokestown, Mick explained. Jimmy Fulham met US veteran Lt Col Bryan Bean (retired) when he was in America on a tour to promote a book (‘Brothers in Arms’) he had written on his walking adventures. Lt Col Bryan Bean has a business interest in Kinnitty Castle Hotel, and he, along with staff from the hotel, met the walkers at Abbeyshrule on Wednesday to provide food and refreshments on their stop there. Kinnitty Castle Hotel is supporting the walk as sponsor.
ONE are hoping to use the link with Lt Col Bryan Bean to expand their fundraising activities to the US.
Mick thanked everyone who supported the walk, including Waterways Ireland, and the venues on the route (the walkers were heading to Nanny Quinn’s at Thomastown after they left Mullingar).
Jimmy Fulham told the Examiner that the walk was going well, though it was tough at times. They were doing between 25 and 30km per day. He said Peter Malone had mentioned the idea of the walk to him last October and “I said, it’s doable, but you’d want 10 fit men”.
“In no time, 10 men put up their hands, so we picked them and we said that’s it. We started getting them ready in October; we’d meet up once or twice a week to walk and get the miles up.” Jimmy said that five of the walking group had served together at Collins Barracks in the 5th Infantry Battalion.
Before heading off from Mullingar Harbour, he said: “I would like to thank the local branch members who came out to support us, and everyone else who helped; and Bryan Bean from Kinnitty Castle, who came over for the walk, and he’s going to carry the Stars and Stripes on the final leg, down the Quays.
“The journey is the destination, it’s not all about getting there,” he added.