Little Blue Heroes Foundation walkers reach Mullingar

All the officers who are walking the length of the Royal Canal and the Grand Canal to raise funds for charity are heroes, Chief Superintendent Fergus Healy told a group of them in Mullingar this afternoon.

The 50 gardaí set off from Grand Canal Dock in Dublin yesterday, Monday, at 8am to walk to the River Shannon via the two canals with the aim of raising funds for the Little Blue Heroes Foundation (littleblueheroes.org/).

The Royal Canal team will finish their walk at Cloondara Harbour in Longford.

In Mullingar this afternoon, Gda Shane Haughey, on behalf of the group, spoke to the Westmeath Examiner.

He said: "Little Blue Heroes was set up by garda members, retired and serving - it's all voluntary, no one takes fees or expenses. It provides financial and moral support for parents and children suffering with long-term debilitating illnesses.

"It's a fantastic charity and we're all delighted to assist in any way we can."

Gda Haughey said his group included officers from across the country, and though they were finding the walk fairly tough going in the heat, "we're motoring through".

They had done 37km as far as Mullingar, by around 4pm today and still had 19k to do this evening. They did 53k yesterday and will complete the walk to the Shannon tomorrow.

"In the best tradition of An Garda Síochána, we all just pull each other along and we're delighted to be able to do something, it's a great cause and we'd like thank everyone that has supported us along the way," said Gda Haughey.

Chief Superintendent Fergus Healy welcomed the group to Mullingar, and spoke briefly to them: "I know you have a long number of miles behind you and another few yet to go, and I just want wish you the best in that.

"I think it's a very worthy cause, the Little Blue Heroes, and I know that you make their day for somebody who's less fortunate than us, and that requires a lot of consideration, to take time our of your recreation to raise money for a worthy cause.

"You're all heroes in my eyes, and I just want to wish you the best - hopefully you raise an awful lot of money, and you will be back again next year."

If you would like to make a financial contribution to the efforts of the garda walkers, you can do so via the website, littleblueheroes.org/, and more details are available here.

There is also a fundraising FB page.

You can also contribute via the iDonate page.

Gda Haughey said: "Whether it's 10 cent or €100, anything you can contribute, 100 per cent of it goes to the organisation."