Wild Atlantic Marathon Walk Presentation
29 November, 2017
At a very pleasant function in The Pier House lounge on last Sat Night Nov 25th, the entire proceeds of the 2017 Great Wild Atlantic Marathon Walk amounting to a superb €7,056 was handed over to The Courtmacsherry RNLI Lifeboat. Making the presentation on behalf of the walk committee was Richard O'Flynn whose idea it was and committee secretary Angela Veldman who also is Educational Officer of the Lifeboat Station. Richard, a former International Athlete, gave a brief resume of the whole idea behind the walk and how the idea was hatched when the link up was formed earlier this year between the RNLI in Ireland and the GAA organisation, in the promotion of the Respect the Water Campaign. Richard has been heavily involved with the Barryroe GAA club over the years and from a simple idea last March, grew a superb event that was held on August 12th. Accepting the cheque on behalf of the Courtmacsherry Lifeboat Station was Treasurer Michael Cox and Voluntary Lifeboat Operations Manager Brian O Dwyer. Brian thanked all the organising committee and praised the great joined up team of the Courtmacsherry Lifeboat Fundraising branch and Barryroe Gaa. He thanked all who took part and the many many helpers, stewards, First Aiders etc who made the event both challenging, safe and enjoyable. He had special praise for the Seven Heads Coastguard which were represented on the night by Karlo Wycherely and the Lifeboat Crew who both took part, crewed the Lifeboat and stewarded on the day.
A special photo slide show presentation was shown by photographer Martin Walsh with some great pictures of the day and Martin produced a beautiful hardback pictorial book that will be displayed in the Lifeboat Station for all to see. Walk committee members Michael Hurley and Barry Flynn presented this Pictorial Book to Lifeboat Station Fundraising Secretary Martha Drake and Fundraising Committee member Marjorie Turner. The night finished with the showing of that beautiful drone video of the walk route that was made by local enthusiast Joe Heaney. Sincere thanks to the Pier House Bar for superb food courtesy of Richard O Flynn and EBS and the final words were left to MC Vincent O'Donovan, walk committee member and Lifeboat Station LPO when he praised the many great sponsors this year who ensured that every single euro raised went to the Courtmacsherry Lifeboat.
The pictorial book will be the first of many we hope as the 2018 Walk was announced for Saturday 11th August 2018 and here’s looking forward to next year’s event...