Local father walking from Dublin to Westport for charity

A local father is walking from Dublin to Westport this week to raise funds for  Féileacáin, the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Association of Ireland.

John Fagan, a Meath native living in Killucan for over 15 years, is setting off from Dublin Port early tomorrow (Monday) morning and over the course of the next four days will walk the 250km to Westport.

Tomorrow, he will walk the 75km from Dublin Port to Kinnegad and intends to meet friends and family for a well earned drink and bite to eat in Scanlon's in the evening, On Tuesday he will walk to Lanesboro, while on Wednesday he will go as far as Claremorris, before completing his epic trek on Thursday when he makes to Westport.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, John said that while he's not really a walker, he likes to “try something hard every now and again” and decided that he'd cross the country on foot for charity.

He chose Féileacáin, a charity that helps people affected by the death of a baby during or after pregnancy, as he has friends, who have benefited from their support services.

He estimates that he will be walking for around 13 or 14 hours a day and says that he is looking forward to the challenge.

“I am going out tomorrow to see what happens. I am not out to break any land speed records or anything like that. It's just about getting from A to B. If I have to stop and take an hour's break here and there and it takes 15 hours, what about it.”

John joked that his family, wife Collette and children Zoe and Senan, already thought that he was “half mad”, but are fully behind him, as is his employer Sysco. John had planned to use some of his annual holidays this week, but when Sysco found out what he was doing they gave him back his holidays and are paying him for his time off.

John has already raised nearly €1800 and hopes to raise a good deal over the next five days for an organisation that helps hundreds of Irish families every year. Click here if you would like to make a donation.

If you would like to learn more about  Féileacáin and the work they do, click here